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Abstract
The emergence of a commercially feasible version of the UNIX operating system portends considerable change for the economics of both production and consumption in the MIS industry. UNIX has been around for 20 years and has drawn periodic attention from the MIS community, but the significance of this innovative operating system is just beginning to be felt among MIS professionals. Although it is tempting to dismiss UNIX as just another fad in information technology, the technical, economic, and social forces behind the UNIX innovation indicate that its effects will be far-reaching. This column discusses the origins and characteristics of UNIX, explores some important differences between UNIX and conventional operating systems, and presents the likely economic implications of the UNIX phenomenon for MIS management.