News

Azul Helps EU Banks Navigate Stringent DORA Regulations with Tailored Solutions

• By John K. Waters
• January 21, 2025

After a two-year implementation period, the European Union's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) took effect on January 17, and U.S.-based Azul, which bills itself as the only company 100% focused on Java, is offering tailored solutions to help financial institutions meet the new regulatory requirements. Azul's integrated risk management practices for its OpenJDK solutions are designed to support stability, resilience, and security in Java applications, a critical component of financial IT infrastructure.

The DORA regulation, which aims to enhance digital resilience across financial entities, introduces strict compliance mandates to mitigate risks associated with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) disruptions. Non-compliance could result in significant penalties, including fines of up to 2% of annual turnover for corporations and personal fines of up to €1,000,000.

"As a trusted partner to our customers, we understand the complex challenges financial institutions face in meeting these stringent requirements," said James Johnston, vice president of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Azul, in a statement. "Our Java solutions enable companies to accelerate compliance efforts while reducing costs and complexity."

Based in Sunnyvale, California, Azul provides enterprise-grade Java solutions for modern cloud environments. Its customer base includes 36% of the Fortune 100 and leading global brands such as BMW, Mastercard, and Deutsche Telekom.

Azul's approach is comprehensive, designed to help financial institutions align their Java apps and infrastructure with DORA's requirements. The company's offerings include:

• Azul Platform Core and Prime: Fully supported OpenJDK distributions that ensure timely security updates, scalability, and compatibility with modern architectures.
• Enhanced Security Measures: Continuous vulnerability monitoring and rapid remediation with Azul Intelligence Cloud, providing robust protection against potential threats.
• Legacy Support: Long-term support for older Java versions, such as 6 and 7, which are critical for maintaining operational resilience in legacy systems.
• Risk Management: Tools to manage ICT risks through secure, stabilized Java updates and proactive incident response mechanisms.
• Third-Party Compliance: Solutions that ensure third-party Java-based applications meet the highest security and performance standards, reducing risks from external dependencies.

According to the 2022 FINOS State of Open Source in Financial Services report, Java remains the programming language of choice for financial institutions, with 51% of financial services code written in Java. Azul's leadership in Java solutions positions the company as a key partner for financial organizations navigating DORA compliance, the company says.

A recent assessment by information security consulting firm Crucyble confirmed that Azul's governance framework, risk management protocols, and resilience measures align with DORA's stringent requirements. These capabilities have enabled Azul to support customers in reducing ICT risks, enhancing operational continuity, and ensuring compliance with the evolving regulatory landscape.

Azul says its proactive approach to regulatory readiness is particularly critical for financial entities relying on Java-powered systems for critical operations, including trading platforms, payment processing, and data analytics.

Azul has seen significant adoption of its Java solutions in the banking and finance sectors, which accounted for a 195% year-over-year increase in bookings during the first half of FY2025.

"Our solutions enable financial institutions to remain resilient, compliant, and secure while optimizing performance and cost efficiency," Johnston said.