Java at 30: A Language Still Going Strong
June 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Java, the language that helped define modern enterprise computing. If you had told me in 1995 that devs would still be writing and shipping production code in this language three decades later... honestly, I would’ve raised an eyebrow.
Still, Java has had a remarkable lifespan, surviving shifts in architecture, paradigms, and ownership, while remaining deeply embedded in global infrastructure.
Its story began well before its public debut. The origins go back to 1991, when a small team of Sun Microsystems engineers—James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton—embarked on what was then known as the Green Project. Their mission wasn’t initially about inventing a new programming language. They were aiming to build a control system for interactive TV and embedded devices—what we’d now call an early vision of the Internet of Things.
Early hype around Java applets for client-side interactivity has long faded, but Java's strength in server-side development has only grown. Java EE (now Jakarta EE), Spring Framework, and Android app development all fueled its relevance throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
In the cloud-native era, Java continues to evolve. GraalVM, Project Loom (lightweight threads), and cloud-optimized distributions like Azul Platform Prime are reshaping its performance profile for microservices and high-scale environments.
After Oracle acquired Sun in 2010, of course, Java's governance became a topic of debate. While Oracle maintains tight control over the core specification, the OpenJDK project has fostered a more collaborative model. Organizations like Red Hat, Azul, and Eclipse Foundation have been instrumental in sustaining open innovation around Java.
The shift to cloud-native hasn’t killed Java, it’s refined it. You’ve got Java running in containers, scaling microservices, crunching real-time data. And yes, Kotlin’s made the JVM feel hip again, but Java itself has gotten some much-needed syntactic sugar and serious performance tuning.
Why is Java still relevant after three decades?
- Stability: Enterprises continue to run critical workloads on Java due to its maturity and ecosystem.
- Tooling: IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA and frameworks like Spring Boot have streamlined development workflows.
- Performance: JIT compilers, adaptive garbage collectors, and ahead-of-time compilation have kept Java competitive.
- Community: With millions of developers and decades of shared knowledge, Java remains one of the most taught and used languages globally.
Of course, we’re now in an AI-soaked, TypeScript-heavy, Rust-curious world. And that’s great—tools should evolve. But I don’t see Java going away anytime soon. It’s too deeply embedded, too adaptable, and still improving.
Looking forward, Java is being reshaped by trends in reactive programming, AI, and platform diversity. While it may no longer be the default language for new startups, its long-term viability in regulated industries, government, finance, and telecom is unmatched.
As Kotlin, Scala, and other JVM languages continue to co-exist, Java's role has shifted from trend-setter to institutional mainstay. But in many ways, that’s exactly what software architects and CIOs want in a world defined by reliability and risk management.
It's empirically true that, at 30, Java remains one of the most battle-tested and versatile languages in the industry. It’s not flashy, but it’s everywhere, from ATMs to Android, trading systems to cloud backends. That quiet ubiquity might be its greatest strength yet.
Posted by John K. Waters on June 3, 2025