Technical support staff who help solve users' problems with hardware or software systems or refer such problems to those who can solve them. Help desks are typically run by larger organizations, such as corporations or universities, or vendors to corporations, to assist users in the organization. A software application for tracking problems with hardware and software and their solutions. An application intended to be launched by a Web browser when the browser downloads a file that it is not able to process itself. Examples of helper applications are sound and movie players.
Many current Web browsers no longer require helper applications for common multimedia file formats.
Also called helper program. A key on the keyboard that the user can press to request help. A screen of information that is displayed when the user requests help. A computing milieu, usually within an organization, in which hardware and software from two or more manufacturers are used. Compare homogeneous environment.