, Minoves, Garrigos, 2011). UNIX and Linux are considered the best possible operating system for managing the development of unified collaboration and workflow-based applications as a result (West, Dedrick, 2006). For all the advantages of UNIX and Linux, the disadvantages include a development and administrator environment that is archaic and command-driven, lacking much of the usability enhancements that Apple and Microsoft both have invested heavily in. The UNIX and Linux user command lines are more adept at managing the specific features and commands at the operating system level, and often must be coordinated in a shells script to accomplish complex tasks. This has led to many utilities and add-on applications being created, which tends to confuse the novice just getting started on the UNIX and Linux operating systems. The learning curve for UNIX and Linux from a user standpoint is quite high and takes months to master at the system command line level. Once mastered however, these two operating systems can be much more effective in managing diverse workflows and workgroups, which have made them ideal for global product development and knowledge management application s, which have become a necessity in many organizations that have global operations.

UNIX and Linux Application Software Compatibility

By far the majority of enterprise software is developed and sold on the UNIX operating system, as its business licensing, superior security options and broader installed base generated over decades of adoption make this server a viable market for developers to sell into. Linux has also experienced exponential growth in desktop, server and mobile applications over the last three years as well, due to the same factors and the agility of building on this platform (Wall Street Journal, 2010). Of the two, Linux is getting far more a developer creating applications for the desktop and server environments, as this platform supports a more equitable development model and...

Linux has emerged as a favorite operating systems for developers and the rapid growth of application sales show this (Wall Street Journal, 2010).
Challenges of Deploying & Maintaining UNIX or Linux Server Environments

UNIX and Linux are intricate, complex and have many options in defining the optimal configuration for a given company's needs. They both require a system administrator with many years of expertise to install correctly and ensure the highest level of performance over the long-term. There is also the steep learning curve associated with these operating systems at the command line and system utility level for system administrators as the utilities they rely on change frequently (West, Dedrick, 2006). This learning curve is further accelerated by the pace of change in UNIX and Linux operating system developments, which force system administrators to continually get system certifications to stay current over time (Doughty, 2003). All of these factors are also complicated by how difficult it is to integrate UNIX and Linux system into diverse operating system environments (Suzanne, 1996).