The free software movement is just the tip of the iceberg. Much remains to be done and to be seen. The next stage is the application of free software principles to create full and deep integrated computing and communications services.
The challenge is how to bring together large and independently developed pieces of software into complete, ready-to-use solutions.
The solution involves more than just software.
ksh has evolved and matured as a result of extensive user feedback. It has been used by many thousands of people at AT&T since 1982, and at many other companies and universities. A survey conducted at one of the largest AT&T Bell Laboratories computer centers showed that 80% of their customers, both programmers and non-programmers, use ksh.
ksh is compatible with the Bourne shell. Virtually all programs written for the Bourne shell also run with ksh. If you are familiar with the Bourne shell, you can use ksh immediately, without retraining. The new version of ksh is compatible with earlier versions of ksh. ksh is readily available. ksh is extensible.