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.