GUIs: One size does not fit all

The development of the multiple user interfaces in operating support systems (OSS) to fulfill the needs of each particular user community, is discussed. The emergence of the n-tiered J2EE (Java 2 platform, enterprises edition) software architecture in OSS is opening the possibilities of multi user interfaces. It provides ease of creating and maintaining a specialized, user-defined interfaces for a commercial off-the shelf (COTS) system, giving users the complete customization of a home-grown system and lower cost of ownership and features of a COTS product. To implement it developer use J2EE three-tiered software architecture, with an back-end database, a middle tier incorporating the business logic and data integrating functions.