ABSTRACT
The goal of end-user development is to allocate responsibility and facilitate the information system construction process. Systems may be viewed as belonging to the user departments, creating situations in which hardware and software purchases introduce products that are incompatible with the existing system. As a department develops software that provides enhanced decision-making capabilities, department users' willingness to share the software may well decline. Client/server-based end-user computing requires more diverse technical support than mainframe-based systems, as it allows an organization to use hardware and software from many different vendors. Support contracts may be required with each of these vendors, so to minimize the difficulties of having multiple vendors, a company must establish internal hardware and software standards. Client/server systems require more technical experts because of the diversity of technologies that must be brought together to create an effective system.
