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Enterprises "Just Scratching the Surface" of Java's Potential, Survey Suggests

• By John K. Waters
• November 1, 2024

The Java language and platform continues to be the backbone of many enterprise applications, and yet businesses are only scratching the surface of its cost-saving potential. That's the conclusion of a survey by BellSoft conducted during the annual Devoxx Belgium conference of more than 300 attendees.

BellSoft specializes in Java technologies and software products, including the open-source Liberica JDK, a Java runtime, and a cloud-native Java platform. The company also provides a variety of Java utilities, including Java Flight Recorder, Mission Control, and Auto Updater.

The BellSoft study ("Java Developer Survey: Trends and Practices in Java Development"), focused on the gap between IT priorities and business needs, highlighting significant trends in Java usage, and emphasizing both the reliance on established versions and the mounting need to harness AI and modern Java features for better performance.

According to BellSoft, 73% of developers responding to the survey say that they believe their organizations could enhance the performance of their Java applications, and 58% of respondents said their companies undervalue Java's potential to reduce cloud-related expenses.

This data suggests that, despite Java’s maturity and widespread adoption, performance optimization and cost-efficiency remain key areas for improvement, BellSoft says.

Migration to the latest Java Development Kit (JDK) versions continues to lag, the survey suggests, with many enterprises relying on older long-term-support (LTS) releases, especially JDK 11 and earlier. Approximately 18% of respondents cited technical dependencies, particularly with third-party libraries, as a roadblock to upgrading. Meanwhile, 23% confirmed that their organizations are investing in performance enhancements for legacy Java workloads, signaling a commitment to maintaining high standards of efficiency, even on older platforms.

And the interest in Java-supported AI among the survey respondents was strong. BellSoft found that 74% of developers currently rely on AI-driven tools for coding, while 34% use dedicated AI frameworks to streamline development processes. Among these tools, Spring AI has quickly emerged as the preferred choice for Java developers. This mainstream adoption of AI indicates a shift toward more automated, precise coding practices, BellSoft says, promising not only faster development, but potentially leaner and more secure code.

As for Java’s evolution, developers cited Records, Pattern Matching, the Var keyword, Enhanced Switch Expressions, and Virtual Threads as the most popular features in production. Each of these features, introduced in recent LTS releases, is designed to make coding more efficient, maintainable, and adaptable to complex business needs.

BellSoft, a key player in the OpenJDK ecosystem, focuses on creating a secure, reliable, and cost-effective Java environment. The company stands out as the only vendor offering extensive support for current LTS Java versions as well as legacy JDK 6 & 7, positioning it as a versatile choice for enterprises with diverse platform requirements.

Devoxx Belgium is one of the largest annual technology conferences in Europe. It's primarily focused on the Java ecosystem, software development, and emerging technologies. Held in Antwerp, the conference brings together developers, engineers, architects, and industry experts from around the world for a week of sessions, workshops, and networking.