I recently went to 2 conferences: Software Test and Performance (in San Mateo, CA) and STAR East (in Orlando).    I noticed an interesting trend at these shows. 

There was the proliferation of new companies offering test-related tools that either competed with the big boys (HP, IBM, Microsoft, Borland, Compuware) or provided something in a different slant.  Companies covering code analysis, security testing, application monitoring, test management, and traditional automated functional and load testing were everywhere.   What this leads me to believe is that the software testing industry is still growing and thriving with new products that may be hitting the market under the noses of the primary players.  It has always been the path of the big boys to see what the market needs, keep an eye on the new up-and-coming software firms and then swoop in and buy one to enter the marketplace (See HP's and IBM's acquisitions of SPI Dynamics and Watchfire last year in the application security testing space).  The IPO is dead thanks to Sarbenes-Oxley, but the targeting of a takeover is the new way for these ISV's to get to the end game.

We are entering the age of relevance of the Tester.  Since the adoption of the agile processes (XP, Scrum, etc.) and the slow death of the waterfall process, Testers are finally getting a seat at the table of IT.  So, as application lifecycle management (ALM) adds the quality component, that means more focus on the Tester role and more tools to make that role successful.  

All in all, the Tester and the tools for the Tester are at an all-time boom.  Enjoy new-found respect, job stability and growth, you previously unappreciated toilers of software!