Consider also that computer costs were once much higher than training costs and the related human support costs. So, again several years back, the focus was on the computer, not the user. Now, with the web, the computer is the lower cost. Training costs are up, and total human costs are higher. Computer costs are somewhat higher initially, but they are fixed and static.
Human costs are variable.
As an aside, let me point out that you can't find any substantial computer company, software, or web site, that doesn't have a usability group. There's been a total wave of change primarily because of the web. It has played a huge role in the shaping of the usability field. Web companies, for example, recognize that the web is a continuous purchase decision. Every click is a purchase decision.