What is "perpetual beta"

n. (context marketing English) A marketing strategy in which a maker of computer software or hardware repeatedly launches early versions of new products as a product development feedback method

Perpetual beta (or ‘banana principle’) is the keeping of software or a system at the beta development stage for an extended or indefinite period of time. It is often used by developers when they continue to release new features that might not be fully tested. Perpetual beta software is not recommended for mission critical machines. However, many operational systems find this to be a much more rapid and agile approach to development, staging, and deployment.