Modern Software Podcast: Java Guru Ben Evans on the Future of the World’s Most Popular Programming Language
Blog post from New Relic
On the New Relic Modern Software Podcast, Java expert Ben Evans discusses the evolving Java landscape, focusing on Oracle's recent changes to Java support and licensing. Oracle no longer provides free binaries for Java 8 and 11, prompting users to seek alternatives like Red Hat's OpenJDK, which offers open-source binaries. This shift requires enterprises to adapt, especially those relying on Java's long-term support. While Oracle promotes a faster release cycle with upgrades every six months, many enterprises prioritize stability and may opt for OpenJDK to avoid frequent updates. Evans highlights how New Relic supports various Java distributions and is actively involved in the Java community, contributing to OpenJDK and helping backport Java 11 features to Java 8. The podcast also explores Java's relevance in a microservices world, addressing optimization challenges and anti-patterns, such as reducing application startup time and managing Java processes efficiently within Docker containers.