A system and method for online configuration of a measurement device for a measurement system. The user accesses a server with a client computer over a network and specifies a desired measurement task. If the user lacks the hardware required to perform the task, hardware specifications and configuration software and/or data specific to the user's application, i.e., to perform the task, are sent to a manufacturer, who pre-configures the hardware with the configuration software and/or data to perform the task and sends the pre-configured hardware to the user. The hardware may be re-configurable hardware, such as a programmable hardware element or processor/memory based device. Configuration software and/or data for configuring the user's measurement system hardware (and/or software) to perform the desired task may also be sent to the user. The configuration software sent to the user may comprise a graphical program usable by the measurement system to perform the task.