Apache Kafka, originally developed at LinkedIn with a focus on Java, has evolved to support multiple programming languages through a versioned, binary protocol, allowing independent client development. Initially, the quality of these non-Java clients varied, impacting user experiences outside the Java ecosystem. Confluent, recognizing the need for high-quality clients across languages, introduced an open-source REST layer for Kafka and simplified the Kafka consumer protocol, integrating it into the core Kafka architecture to ease client development and scalability. The strategy involved leveraging the high-quality C client, librdkafka, for developing native clients in various languages, such as Python and Go, ensuring feature parity and robust performance. This approach, favoring wrapping existing C code over creating new clients from scratch, enhances client reliability and efficiency across platforms. The recent release of Confluent Platform 7.7 introduces key features such as enhanced security with OAuth support and integration with Apache Flink® and Amazon OpenSearch, emphasizing Confluent's commitment to making Kafka a versatile platform for stream processing across diverse programming environments.