When Oracle purchased Solar Microsystems in April 2009 for $7.4 billion, Oracle’s Larry Ellison stated Java was “the one most necessary software program asset now we have ever acquired.” Two months later, showing on stage with Ellison on the JavaOne convention, Solar chairman Scott McNealy tackled the group’s largest query head-on. “There’s a giant, pink elephant within the room,” he instructed the viewers of software program builders. “Is that this Oracle factor a very good factor for Java?”

Whereas corporations don’t typically make bulletins concerning the underlying platform they use to energy their software program investments, Java underpins the whole lot from microservices and backend logic to massive information processing — and Java’s lasting compatibility, productiveness, and large ecosystem and tooling assist has made it actually ubiquitous. As we mark 15 years of Oracle Java, it’s value revisiting McNealy’s query: What has Oracle’s stewardship of Java meant for its enterprise customers and the developer ecosystem?

The Execs

The primary few years had their share of turmoil, akin to when Apache formally withdrew its membership from the Java Group Course of and a prolonged lawsuit between Oracle and Google over using Java in creating Android. However in time, the Java platform settled right into a interval of relative calm.

Oracle started to drive a gradual stream of enhancements in main Java releases, and the corporate significantly elevated the cadence of releases, transferring to a predictable and regular six-month schedule, and away from the historical past of unpredictability and three to 6 years between characteristic updates. Every launch’s cadence and strong characteristic set have helped make sure that Java continues to be one of the related programming languages for each group.

Beneath Oracle’s stewardship, Java, and the OpenJDK Challenge the place it’s developed, have reliably delivered 13 consecutive characteristic replace releases on an ideal 6-month cadence. A brand new Lengthy-Time period Help (LTS) launch is designated each two years, with safety and bug repair updates each three months. The corporate additionally earns reward for persevering with to press technical progress.

From a technical standpoint, Oracle launched new language options and enhancements to the JDK, the Java runtime and the JVM, in addition to systemic enhancements akin to improved Docker assist and sustaining common safety updates.

The Cons

Considerations over Oracle’s true dedication to sustaining the open-source nature of Java have been there from the start. In 2018, Oracle introduced it could finish free public updates for Java 8 in January 2019 and a change to the best way public updates of Oracle Java will likely be made accessible and licensed sooner or later. This transfer was extremely disruptive and led to a surge in exercise amongst different corporations and organizations providing their very own OpenJDK distributions with assist and updates. On this sense, the open-source ecosystem has continued to thrive, giving builders a broad vary of choices to suit their wants. 

The 2018 announcement that public updates for Oracle Java 8 would solely be accessible with a paid subscription to Oracle Java SE demonstrated to many the drawbacks of Oracle’s stewardship and was a foreshadowing of the advanced licensing fashions and the excessive prices related to Java assist and updates that we see right now.

In 2019, the Oracle Java license was once more modified. It was free for private and improvement functions, however industrial customers wanted a subscription. Seemingly, consequently, Oracle’s recognition with Java builders started to sink. In line with Azul’s 2023 State of Java Survey and Report, globally 72% are contemplating migrating from Oracle Java to a non-Oracle distribution and 60% are already utilizing a non-Oracle OpenJDK.

In 2023, a fourth main change in 4 years now requires organizations utilizing Oracle Java to buy a license for all workers even when just one worker or server has put in a licensable model of Java. With this newest pricing mannequin, some clients have reported price will increase within the vary of 2x – 12x. So as to add additional gasoline to the hearth, auditing pressures have additionally appeared to extend. In line with Gartner, by 2026, greater than 20% of organizations utilizing Java functions will likely be audited by Oracle, resulting in unbudgeted noncompliance charges.

These structural licensing adjustments and worth will increase are straining IT budgets, notably for organizations closely reliant on Java-based functions, and trigger many to discover price optimization methods.

A Blended Bag

The reply to Scott McNealy’s 2009 query, “Is that this Oracle factor a very good factor for Java?” seems to be a professional sure. And Java definitely has been good for Oracle. Trade pundits estimate that income from Oracle Java assist has grown by an order of magnitude since Oracle began aggressively monetizing Java in 2019. Oracle has achieved a very good job retaining Java each pervasive and widespread. With all of the languages to select from, it might have fallen out of favor, however Oracle deserves credit score for retaining it up to date and related for builders. 

The Oracle Java licensing and pricing adjustments, although, appear to have struck onerous all through the ecosystem. It’s troublesome to belief a software program companion who adjustments pricing and licensing yearly or two.

Regardless of this, and due to the wholesome OpenJDK group that gives strong options to Oracle, Java has remained one of the widespread programming languages. Azul’s 2023 State of Java Survey and Report discovered that an amazing 98% of companies proceed to make use of Java of their software program functions or infrastructure, and a transparent majority of these organizations point out that Java is the spine of a majority (60%+) of their functions.

Oracle will proceed to be a significant affect on Java’s future, including new options to increase its longevity. On the identical time, the JVM is terrifically versatile, and builders take pleasure in its flexibility with out sacrificing efficiency. The OpenJDK group stays robust and continues to drive the platform ahead. Considered by means of that lens, Java’s future stays optimistic.