A system for monitoring a user's usage of a target application on an application
unit. Such a target application can, as examples, be a software program running
on a computer or a workstation, an image forming device, an appliance, etc. The
application unit includes a user interface with a plurality of commands which a
user can select. In the example of the target application being a software program,
the commands may be icons displayed on a computer screen which a user can point
to with a mouse pointer and then click on. In the case of the application unit
being an image forming device or an appliance, the interface may be an operation
panel with buttons, a touch pad, etc. which a user can press. The present invention
monitors the user's usage of such interfaces and logs data of the user's usage
of such interfaces. The logged data can then be communicated by the sending unit
to a designated location.