End user
In product development, an end user (sometimes end-user)[a] is a person who ultimately uses or is intended to ultimately use a product.[1][2][3] The end user stands in contrast to users who support or maintain the product,[4] such as sysops, system administrators, database administrators,[5] information technology (IT) experts, software professionals, and computer technicians. End users typically do not possess the technical understanding or skill of the product designers,[6] a fact easily overlooked and forgotten by designers: leading to features creating low customer satisfaction.[2] In information technology, end users are not customers in the usual sense—they are typically employees of the customer.[7] For example, if a large retail corporation buys a software package for its employees to use, even though the large retail corporation was the customer that purchased the software, the end users are the employees of the company, who will use the software at work.
Context
End users are one of the three major factors contributing to the complexity of
Empowerment
The concept of end-user first surfaced in the late 1980s and has since then raised many debates. One challenge was the goal to give both the user more freedom, by adding advanced features and functions (for more advanced users) and adding more constraints (to prevent a neophyte user from accidentally erasing an entire company's database).
For companies to appeal to the user, it took primary care to accommodate and think of end-users in their new products, software launches, and updates. A partnership needed to be formed between the programmer-developers and the everyday end users so both parties could maximize the use of the products effectively. skills, to hiring IT and software experts.
End user documentation
The aim of end user documentation (e.g., manuals and guidebooks for products) is to help the user understand certain aspects of the systems and to provide all the answers in one place.[13] A lot of documentation is available for users to help them understand and properly use a certain product or service. Due to the fact that the information available is usually very vast, inconsistent or ambiguous (e.g., a user manual with hundreds of pages, including guidance on using advanced features), many users suffer from an information overload. Therefore, they become unable to take the right course of action. This needs to be kept in mind when developing products and services and the necessary documentation for them.[14]
Well-written documentation is needed for a user to reference. Some key aspects of such a documentation are:[13]
- Specific titles and subtitles for subsections to aid the reader in finding sections
- Use of videos, annotated screenshots, text and links to help the reader understand how to use the device or program
- Structured provision of information, which goes from the most basic instructions, written in plain language, without specialist jargon or acronyms, progressing to the information that intermediate or advanced users will need (these sections can include jargon and acronyms, but each new term should be defined or spelled out upon its first use)
- Easy to search the help guide, find information and access information
- Clear end results are described to the reader (e.g., "When the program is installed properly, an icon will appear in the left-hand corner of your screen and the LEDwill turn on...")
- Detailed, numbered steps, to enable users with a range of proficiency levels (from novice to advanced) to go step-by-step to install, use and troubleshootthe product or service
- Unique Uniform Resource Locator(URLs) so that the user can go to the product website to find additional help and resources.
At times users do not refer to the documentation available to them due to various reasons, ranging from finding the manual too large or due to not understanding the jargon and acronyms it contains. In other cases, the users may find that the manual makes too many assumptions about a user having pre-existing knowledge of computers and software, and thus the directions may skip over these initial steps (from the users' point of view). Thus, frustrated user may report false problems because of their inability to understand the software or computer hardware. This in turn causes the company to focus on perceived problems instead of focusing on the actual problems of the software.[15]
Security
In the 2010s, there is a lot of emphasis on user's security and privacy. With the increasing role that computers are playing in people's lives, people are carrying
However, developers of software and hardware are faced with many challenges in developing a system that can be both
Another key step to end user security is informing the people and employees about the security threats and what they can do to avoid them or protect themselves and the organization. Clearly underlining, the capabilities and risks makes users more aware and informed whilst they are using the products.
Some situations that could put the user at risk are:
- Auto-logon as administrator options
- Auto-fill options, in which a computer or program remembers a user's personal information and HTTP cookies
- Opening junkemails of suspicious emails and/or opening/running attachments or computer files contained in these
- Email can be monitored by third parties, especially when using Wi-Fi connections
- Unsecure Wi-Fi or use of a public Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop or hotel
- Weak passwords (using a person's own name, own birthdate, name or birthdate of children, or easy-to-guess passwords such as "1234")
- Malicious programs such as viruses
Even if the security measures in place are strong, the choices the user makes and his/her behavior have a major impact on how secure their information really is. Therefore, an informed user is one who can protect and achieve the best security out of the system they use.
Law
In end-user license agreements, the end user is distinguished from the value-added reseller, who installs the software or the organization that purchases and manages the software.[20][failed verification]
Certain American defense-related products and information require export approval from the United States Government under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations.[21] In order to obtain a license to export, the exporter must specify both the end user and the end use for undertaking an end-user certificate.[22]
In the UK, there exist documents that accompany licenses for products named in the end user undertaking statements.[clarification needed][23]
See also
Notes
- ^ When used as an adjective, end-user is generally hyphenated; when used as a noun, end user is left unhyphenated. Thus, "good end-user experience" versus "good experience to the end user".
References
- OCLC 50480181.
the person ultimately intended to use a product
- ^ a b Howe, Denis (1997-03-29). "FOLDOC entry for "end-user"". foldoc.org. London. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
The person who uses a computer application, as opposed to those who developed or it.
- ^ Legal Information Institute. "U.S. Code § 8541 - Definitions". www.law.cornell.edu. U.S. Code. Ithaca, New York: Cornell Law School. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
The term "end-user", with respect to a good, service, or technology, means the person that receives and ultimately uses the good, service, or technology.
- OCLC 6862471.
The end users are persons who perform the application functions. End users include "parametric" and generalized function users, but they are not system support personnel.
- OCLC 20491157.
- OCLC 30777731.
One of the most important features of a DBMS is that relatively inexperienced users, called end users, are empowered to retrieve information from the database. The user poses a query at the terminal keyboard, requesting the database system to display the answer on a terminal screen or on a printed sheet.
- OCLC 884168009.
A party that ultimately uses a delivered product or that receives the benefit of a delivered service. (See also "customer".) End users may or may not also be customers (who can establish and accept agreements or authorize payments).
- ISBN 978-1-118-67436-9.
- JSTOR 23714792.
- ^ "Can IT Cope With Empowered End-Users?". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
- ProQuest 199819277.
- .
- ^ a b "10 Examples of Great End User Documentation". blog.screensteps.com. Retrieved 2015-11-03.[self-published source?]
- ISBN 9781118360491.
- ^ Wilkinson, Paul Johnston (2003). End-user documentation (Doctoral). Durham theses, Durham University. pp. 2–6.
- .
- ^ Tribelhorn, Ben (2007). "End user security" (PDF). Computer Security. Harvey Mudd College. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
- ^ "End User Devices Security Guidance: Introduction – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
- ^ K. Reimers, D. Andersson (2017) POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION NETWORK SECURITY: THE END USER CHALLENGE AND EVOLVING THREATS, ICERI2017 Proceedings, pp. 1787–1796.
- ^ "What is END USER?". thelawdictionary.org. Black's Law Dictionary. 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
- ^ "Defense trade controls overview" (PDF). www.pmddtc.state.gov. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of State. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
- ^ "Nontransfer and use certificate" (PDF). www.pmddtc.state.gov. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-27. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
- ^ "Frequently asked questions on End-User Undertakings | Find Laws, Legal Information, News & Solicitors". Findlaw UK. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
External links
- Ward, Sandra N.; Osegueda, Laura M. (2019-12-06), "Teaching University Student End-Users about Online Searching", Serving End-Users in Sci-Tech Libraries, Routledge, pp. 17–32, ISBN 978-0-429-34610-1, retrieved 2023-12-23