Latest news with #OpenJDK
Techday NZ
30-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Azul launches Managed Services Programme for Java insights
Azul has introduced a Managed Services Provider Programme for its Azul Intelligence Cloud, enabling managed service providers to integrate Java software asset management, vulnerability detection and code inventory capabilities into their service offerings. The new programme allows partners to utilise sublicensing and white-label rights for Azul Intelligence Cloud's Software-as-a-Service tools - JVM Inventory, Azul Vulnerability Detection, and Code Inventory. Through these tools, MSPs can offer detailed analytics and insights on their customers' Java environments, including active Java Virtual Machines from Oracle, Azul, and any OpenJDK distribution. Partners will be equipped to deliver reports and analyses that provide customers with greater visibility into Oracle Java license management, application security vulnerabilities and opportunities to streamline code maintenance. The solution is designed to help organisations reduce non-compliant licensing risks and improve their security posture without needing to deploy or manage new tools themselves. Features of the programme The Managed Services Provider Programme permits channel and services partners to deliver Java license, security and efficiency insights as part of their broader managed service packages. Under the agreement, MSPs create a secure, tenant-specific Intelligence Cloud environment for each end customer. Partners can then manage onboarding, deploy agents, oversee data collection, configure alerts and generate scheduled reports - all under their own brand, with results presented as "Powered by Azul." Through the service, partners can bundle Java license compliance advisories, application modernisation initiatives and managed DevOps services, adapting to varying service delivery and revenue models. The aim is to provide end customers with ongoing assurance of compliance and security with minimal operational involvement on the customer's part. Evan Boyd, Managing Director of Software Licensing Consultants, highlighted the visibility and operational benefits provided by the solution: "Azul Intelligence Cloud lets us see every JVM our customers use and depend on - whether it's Oracle, Azul, or any other OpenJDK distribution - and immediately understand compliance or security gaps. Embedding Intelligence Cloud into our managed service portfolio, particularly the annual Java advisory services we provide, means we can deliver faster, more accurate license reconciliation and real-time compliance for our customers while removing the operational burden." Reducing risk and false positives Azul has outlined a range of capabilities available through the Intelligence Cloud, including continuous runtime detection of all JVMs - covering vendor, version, installation and application details - which helps pinpoint Oracle JVMs subject to commercial licensing. This data can be attributed to the responsible teams and applications to ensure license compliance. Azul Vulnerability Detection makes use of class-level runtime data to reduce security vulnerability false positives by up to 99%, enabling MSPs to focus on actionable security risks. The Code Inventory feature helps identify unused and redundant Java code, allowing partners to offer advice on code base modernisation and maintenance. The detection of obsolete code can result in efficiency improvements and cost savings, and according to Azul, advisory services delivered through the programme could enable developers to reallocate as much as 40% of their time to other business priorities due to reduced code maintenance burdens. Because MSPs manage deployment, data gathering and insight delivery, clients are spared the complexity of operating additional software consoles, and are instead provided with actionable reporting about their Java estate health and risks. Partners and benefits The managed delivery approach is intended to simplify how customers access continuous insights into Java usage, compliance, security incidents and code efficiency - potentially supporting organisations in lowering audit exposure and licensing costs, bolstering security and reclaiming developer productivity. Simon Taylor, Vice President of Global Channel and Alliances at Azul, described the company's intent behind the programme: "Java estates continue to expand across a myriad of deployment environments, and the cost, time and resources required to get the right licensing and security insights for compliance-oriented decision making can be enormous. By giving partners full, managed access to Azul Intelligence Cloud, we're equipping them to deliver turnkey services where they can put clear, actionable reporting and insights into the hands of their customers' decision makers. Ultimately, this mitigates license audit risk and cost, surfaces critical vulnerabilities proactively and reclaims developer capacity for their customers."
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Java's 30th Anniversary—A Look At Years Of Sun And Clouds
Alexander Belokrylov is CEO of BellSoft. Accomplished expert in Java technology and IT leadership with over 10 years of experience. The 30th anniversary of Java, which the Java community is celebrating this year, offers a perfect opportunity to reflect on the remarkable changes the ecosystem has undergone. In this article, I aim to compare a few initial and modern Java approaches, highlighting that the sustained demand for Java, particularly its continued dominance in enterprise software development, does not mean the code has remained static. Java and its ecosystem have undergone a dynamic transformation over the years, driven by vibrant OpenJDK contributions and a shift away from some of its original concepts. From Proprietary To Open-Source As many know, Java was initially developed as proprietary code by Sun Microsystems. In 2006, it began transitioning to an open-source model, a process that culminated in 2011 with the release of Java SE 7 by Oracle. As a result, Java spent 16 years as proprietary, closed-source software and for nearly half its lifespan, 14 years, it has been available as open-source code. The benefits of open-source development stem from collective efforts: the larger and more active the community around the code, the greater the programming advancements. In the case of Java, the OpenJDK community has played a pivotal role in ensuring that the platform remains highly adaptable to evolving business demands. Today, open-source code is embedded in nearly every software application. A 2022 Linux Foundation study estimated that 70–90% of modern software solutions contain some open-source components. A more recent 2025 Open Source Security and Risk Analysis report highlights that as much as 97% of current codebases incorporate open-source code. In Java programming, both proprietary and open-source Java ecosystems are available, but the industry's preference has increasingly shifted toward OpenJDK. However, the transition from proprietary Java to OpenJDK is still ongoing. While Oracle was the dominant JDK distribution provider in 2020, with around 75% of the Java market, its share had declined to just 21% by 2024, according to the latest New Relic Report. Switching to OpenJDK is a logical choice, often driven by the need to reduce Java-related costs, secure support for legacy Java versions (discontinued by Oracle), or address similar business concerns. The essence of today's Java market lies in the healthy coexistence of both proprietary and OpenJDK options. Java continues to hold a top position in enterprise development, and for many businesses, it was the original language of choice. This freedom to choose between proprietary and open-source versions is a key strength of the Java ecosystem. Contemporary Java And Its Legacy Releases While Java's latest Long-Term Support (LTS) releases offer continuous feature enhancements, it is surprising that these versions are not always the most widely adopted. Regular upgrades have yet to become a mainstream practice in many organizations. As of today, 28.8% of businesses still rely on Java 8, and a significant number of enterprises continue using Java 6. However, the 2024 New Relic State of the Java Ecosystem Report highlights an encouraging trend: an increased adoption rate of newer Java releases, such as Java 17 and 21. Across the industry, JDK 17 holds 35% of the market share, followed closely by JDK 11 at 33%. Multiple reports on JDK usage confirm that enterprises often prefer to stick with classic and mature Java versions. This approach reflects a business priority toward innovation rather than maintenance. In many cases, software developed on older platforms, such as JDK 6, remains in use because there is no immediate need for migration, as long as support is available. Summarizing Java's development trends on its 30th anniversary: Enterprise-level applications continue to rely on a mix of older and modern LTS versions. Java has evolved into a versatile platform that supports a variety of environments—some optimized for cloud deployments and others tailored for server-side applications. This diversity, along with the freedom to choose from various frameworks, libraries, LTS versions and other ecosystem tools, is one of Java's greatest strengths. Over its 30 years of development, Java has become one of the most complex and expansive coding ecosystems, offering developers a rich set of instruments to build modern software. The only limitation is the challenge of making the right choices amidst this vast landscape. A Server Code Has Gone To Cloud When Java was created, software was built for server-side use, and cloud technologies did not exist. The rise of the cloud has impacted Java development practice in many ways. If monolithic structures were mainly used in its early years, today, developers apply microservice architecture, allowing greater speed and flexibility of operations in the cloud. Cloud native architecture, in turn, requires new kinds of Java instruments, relying heavily on microservices, small containers, GraalVM native images and other modern tools, all of which are designed to improve Java's performance in the cloud. The OpenJDK community encountered many challenges in uniting Java with the cloud. It is fair to say that the majority of OpenJDK initiatives of the last decade were aimed at improving Java qualities in the cloud so it could operate at lower cost and faster speeds. Thanks to these initiatives, the latest JDK 24 differs significantly from Java 1.4. Frankly, nothing has stayed the same in Java. Modern LTS releases allow for more effective memory usage and vertical scaling, with the help of new generations of GCs, a decreased memory footprint with features such as compact object headers (which are still experimental), while development was facilitated via a multitude of public JEPs (enhancement proposals), etc. I could go on listing more features and initiatives managed by the Java community in its thirty years of existence, but they are too many, and too complex to be covered in one article. The variety of changes that have reshaped Java's essential qualities demonstrate the idea of Java dynamism in full. The transformations Java has gone through brings a constantly evolving code to the scene. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Techday NZ
27-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Java Independence is now a board-level priority - Driving cost savings, cloud efficiency and strategic agility
Chances are every time you stream content, buy something online or check your bank balance, you're interacting with Java-based systems. Java powers mission-critical systems across industries. Netflix runs its entire streaming infrastructure on Java-based microservices, processing millions of concurrent viewers. Global payment networks validate credit card transactions in milliseconds across hundreds of countries using Java applications. While the Java community has expanded to over 10 million developers worldwide, enterprises face mounting cost pressures from multiple directions. For the enterprises powering these essential services, 2025 represents a critical decision point: continue paying escalating costs for Oracle Java, potentially impacting profit margins or customer pricing as well as the potential for future price hikes, or seek alternatives. Java independence gives businesses control, choice, and confidence in how they build and run Java applications. Azul's recent 2025 State of Java Survey & Report reveals an enterprise Java ecosystem in transition, driven by mounting cost concerns, market preference for open-source solutions, and ongoing uncertainty around Oracle's licensing policies. This watershed moment stems from Oracle's shift to employee-based pricing in January 2023, which fundamentally disrupted enterprise Java strategy. Oracle's licensing practices have significantly increased Java-related expenditures, with the company generating billions annually from Java licensing and support. This shift isn't just about cost savings, it's about mitigating risk and enhancing agility. Java independence has become a board-level priority in an era where digital transformation drives market leadership. The oracle Java challenge The new Oracle pricing model detaches Java costs from actual usage, creating an unsustainable scenario: a 10,000-employee company running a handful of Java applications pays the same as a similarly sized organisation running thousands of Java-based services. For global businesses, this represents both a financial challenge and a strategic imperative to maintain competitive advantage. Our research reveals that two-thirds of organisations found Oracle's licensing model more expensive than alternatives, and an overwhelming majority reported successful migrations away from Oracle Java. With 25% of companies citing audit risk as a key migration driver, the urgency to transition has become a business priority rather than just an IT concern. The OpenJDK success story The success of OpenJDK adoption has shattered Oracle Java migration concerns. The data tells a compelling story: 84% of companies found the transition easier than expected or as planned, with three-quarters completing migrations within 12 months. This rapid timeline reflects both the maturity of available solutions and the robust support ecosystem around OpenJDK migrations. OpenJDK distributions have emerged as preferred alternatives to Oracle Java. These enterprise-ready solutions match Oracle Java SE's core capabilities while offering enhanced support and performance options. Successful migration hinges on three key components: Organisational momentum - Technical expertise, discovery & inventory tools and project planning assistance from a commercial OpenJDK provider can significantly help secure and maintain executive support, ultimately impacting a successful transition. Comprehensive Java mapping - Identifying all Java deployments across an organisation is essential. With 83% of organisations requiring commercially supported Java in production, this mapping phase is critical. Governance and compliance - Maintaining independence from Oracle Java licensing requires robust governance. Success means partnering with OpenJDK providers offering comprehensive protection, from IP safeguards to indemnification. The immediate financial benefits are substantial — most organisations report a 50-70% reduction in Oracle Java-related costs. Perhaps even more compelling, additional value lies in regaining control over Java technology strategy. Cloud cost optimisation Organisations are grappling with rapidly escalating cloud infrastructure costs, as annual global cloud spending is nearing a trillion dollars and continues to grow at double-digit rates. Our research reveals that 71% of organisations overpay for cloud compute capacity, highlighting an opportunity to reduce costs while improving application performance. Companies that select non-Oracle optimised Java platforms can save 20%+ on cloud computing costs. This is because high-performance Java runtimes deliver more stable Java applications and infrastructure while consuming fewer computing resources, creating compelling advantages beyond just licensing considerations. Powering AI innovation with Java Emerging technology demands amplify the need for change, particularly in AI and cloud computing. Half of the surveyed companies from our State of Java report already build AI functionality using Java — from financial institutions developing fraud detection systems to retailers leveraging machine learning for customer personalisation and inventory management. As computational demands grow, organisations require Java platforms that can deliver both performance and efficiency. These advanced workloads highlight the need for solutions that provide more scalable and stable applications while consuming fewer computing resources, enabling AI initiatives to be deployed successfully without excessive infrastructure investments. Oracle Java independence is not just a technical evolution — it's a strategic imperative that gives organisations the freedom to innovate, control costs, and build their technology future on their own terms.
Business Wire
19-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Azul and OpenValue Expand Partnership to North America as OpenValue Introduces Global Oracle Java Migration Guarantees
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & UTRECHT, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Azul, the only company 100% focused on Java, today announced the expansion of its partnership with OpenValue into North America, bringing OpenValue's industry-leading Java migration services, and newly introduced Java migration guarantees which are available globally, to Azul customers and global reseller partners. Designed to give enterprises greater assurance and predictability when transitioning from costly and restrictive Oracle Java, OpenValue's certified Java migration services now are being coupled with Java migration assurances to provide guaranteed outcomes on project timelines and budgets. The expanded partnership helps customers across Europe and North America safely and efficiently migrate their Java estates to Azul Platform Core and Azul Platform Prime, while optimizing performance and controlling license costs. Java migration guarantees help customers transition Java estates to Azul's supported builds of OpenJDK with assured timelines, cost predictability and reduced licensing risk Share Since its founding in 2017, OpenValue has established itself as a premier provider of Java and DevOps consulting, helping enterprises across Europe. In 2020, OpenValue launched its certified Java migration services to enable organizations globally to modernize their Java estates and escape the escalating costs and licensing restrictions of Oracle Java. In collaboration with Azul and its global ecosystem of resellers and alliances, OpenValue recognized growing customer demand for greater assurance around Java migrations, particularly for large-scale, business-critical environments. The company's recent expansion to North America brings these services to this market now as well. Its new Java migration guarantee gives customers the confidence that migrations to Azul Platform Core and Azul Platform Prime will be delivered on time and within budget, minimizing risk and ensuring predictable outcomes. 'The demand for guaranteed Java migration services continues to accelerate in both Europe and North America,' said Robert Bruinink, CEO of OpenValue Services. 'By expanding our strategic partnership with Azul, we can offer customers a proven path to move away from expensive, restrictive Oracle Java—while guaranteeing that migrations will be completed on time and on budget. Together with Azul's best-in-class Java platform, we're helping organizations optimize costs, improve performance, and take full control of their Java estates.' Azul delivers a best-in-class, cost-effective supportive builds of OpenJDK and is the only vendor to offer support for the entire range of Java versions (including Java 6 and 7). The company's award-winning suite of solutions—including Azul Platform Core and Azul Platform Prime—powers mission-critical Java environments for many of the world's largest enterprises, including global banks, e-commerce leaders and technology innovators. Azul's platforms provide long-term reliability, performance optimization, and enterprise-grade security and support. This helps customers to significantly reduce total cost of ownership while ensuring Java environments remain fully secure and optimized. 'Our global channel partners are instrumental in helping customers unlock the full value of Azul's Java platform,' said Simon Taylor, vice president of Global Partners and Alliances at Azul. 'OpenValue's Java migration guarantee is a game-changer, giving enterprises the confidence to modernize their Java estates with clear expectations and no surprises. We're excited to expand this partnership into North America and continue enabling our customers and partners to drive successful, low-risk migrations to Azul.' About OpenValue Founded in 2017, Roy Wasse, CEO of OpenValue Group had the vision to start a consulting company where everyone can do exactly what they need to become the best developer they could ever be. OpenValue Services is part of the OpenValue Group, a group of independent companies specializing in full stack software development in the Java ecosystem and consisting of decentralized teams of over 160 highly skilled full stack Java experts operating from the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the United States. We aspire to excel in the fast-changing field of custom Java software development. This concept soon proved to be very successful. Now with OpenValue Services we are using our expertise and strengths to globally provide our Java services that include migrations to Azul OpenJDK for medium-sized companies and large corporates as well. About Azul Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Azul provides the Java platform for the modern cloud enterprise. Azul is the only company 100% focused on Java. Millions of Java developers, hundreds of millions of devices and the world's most highly regarded businesses trust Azul to power their applications with exceptional capabilities, performance, security, value, and success. Azul customers include 36% of the Fortune 100, 50% of Forbes top 10 World's Most Valuable Brands, all 10 of the world's top 10 financial trading companies, and leading brands like Avaya, Bazaarvoice, BMW, Deutsche Telekom, LG, Mastercard, Mizuho, Priceline, Salesforce, Software AG, and Workday. Learn more at and follow us @azulsystems.
Techday NZ
19-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Azul & Chainguard partner on zero-CVE Java containers
Azul and Chainguard have announced a partnership focused on strengthening container security for Java workloads through combined commercial Java support and secure container images. The collaboration will see Chainguard create Java container images built from source, incorporating Azul's commercially supported build of OpenJDK from the Azul Platform Core. This approach is designed to allow enterprises to deliver production workloads more efficiently while addressing the complexities of securing the full software stack for Java applications. Complexity in Java security Java remains integral to a wide range of enterprise applications, with growing challenges around ensuring timely access to secure builds. Securing Java workloads requires reliable updates and consistent patching, traditionally necessitating expertise and timely intervention by vendors. Azul aims to fulfil this role by delivering fully supported OpenJDK builds intended as a direct replacement for Oracle Java, enabling organisations to maintain compliance and security while reducing expenditure and freeing development teams from remediation tasks. Chainguard Containers supports customers by securing operating systems and application runtime environments. The combination targets gaps in current protection practices that too often see engineering and security teams handle numerous vulnerability disclosures, deal with inconsistent patching, and attempt to harden containers without slowing developer productivity. For Java workloads, which require both rapid security response and commercial support, these difficulties are particularly pressing. Recent research from NetRise indicates that the average container carries 604 known vulnerabilities in underlying software components. Notably, over 45% of these CVEs are two to ten years old. This accumulation of unaddressed vulnerabilities increases risks for organisations that depend on containerised apps. Findings from Azul's 2025 State of Java Survey & Report further highlight the impact of security issues. According to the report, 33% of respondents stated their DevOps teams spend more than half their time addressing false positives from Java-related vulnerabilities. Additionally, 49% of surveyed companies reported they are still encountering vulnerabilities from Log4j in production environments, nearly three years after the initial disclosure. The need to secure all layers, from operating systems to toolchains, forms a critical part of the software development lifecycle. Hardened, zero-CVE Java containers The partnership between Azul and Chainguard is positioned as a direct response to challenges identified by industry research. The joint offering will deliver zero-CVE containers for Java versions 21 and above, built from Azul's source code and supported commercially through Azul's Java expertise. Customers are expected to benefit from a streamlined way to secure Java application foundations, reducing overall risk exposure and enabling more consistent, reliable deployments. The new container images will be constructed entirely from source and tested in accordance with the Java Compatibility Kit, providing assurance of compatibility and feature parity. Azul's approach to stabilised, security-only Critical Patch Updates gives engineering teams the opportunity to deploy updated Java images more efficiently, minimising manual patching and testing efforts. This is intended to help organisations redirect development resources away from platform maintenance and towards application delivery. "Our customers need solutions that reduce risk and build trust at every layer of their modern software deployment stack," said Dan Lorenc, co-founder and CEO at Chainguard. "Today, we're bringing Chainguard's expertise in building minimal, zero-CVE images and Azul's expertise in Java together to create the most secure, commercial-grade containers for cloud-native workloads." Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO at Azul, added: "Choosing a hardened container shouldn't mean sacrificing timely security-only updates and commercial support services for your Java runtimes. Today, we're excited to offer enterprises best-in-breed hardened Java containers from Chainguard while leveraging world-class commercial support from Azul." Customers adopting Azul Java container images through Chainguard Containers will have access to commercial Java support within the Azul Platform Core portfolio. This ensures ongoing access to patches and direct assistance for Java runtime issues in critical enterprise environments.
