Beta - A term used to describe an early release of a product - particularly software

Beta - A term used to describe an early release (the beta release) of a product - particularly software - to a limited group of users (beta testers) in order to perfect the product. The phrase in beta is used to identify something that is at this test stage of its development. While the original concept was to test the product, it has become common for beta testing to be used to test the market for a new product. Google, for example, labelled its search engine to be in beta for the early years of its availability. This added to its attraction for geeks and early adopters, and prompted its spread virally (see viral marketing) amongst academics and journalists before breaking into the mainstream marketplace.