New Relic’s report highlights Amazon’s dominance over Oracle in the JDK market, alongside a significant rise in Java 17 adoption, which has quadrupled in recent years.
Adoption of Java 17, the latest Long Term Support (LTS) version of Java, has seen an astonishing growth of 430% over the past year, as revealed by New Relic’s most recent report on Java usage. This surge in adoption indicates a strong shift in the Java ecosystem, with developers increasingly recognizing the benefits of upgrading to this LTS release. Notably, Java 17, also known as JDK 17, was officially launched in September 2021, and its LTS status ensures it will receive extended support from Oracle for several years to come.
The report highlights that Amazon Corretto has emerged as the leading Java Development Kit (JDK), capturing a significant 31% share of Java instances. This marks a pivotal shift in the Java ecosystem, as Corretto has outpaced Oracle’s JDK offerings. The increasing popularity of Amazon Corretto can be attributed to its compatibility with Java applications and its commitment to providing a reliable and free open-source distribution of the Java platform. As more organizations migrate to cloud-based solutions, Corretto’s integration with AWS services is likely enhancing its appeal.
In terms of actual usage, the report indicates that more than 9% of production Java applications are now utilizing Java 17, a remarkable increase from less than 1% in 2022. This rapid growth underscores the urgency for developers to leverage the new features and improvements offered by Java 17, including enhancements in performance, security, and language capabilities. As organizations seek to modernize their applications, adopting the latest LTS release becomes increasingly important to stay competitive in the market.
In contrast, the report also reveals that over 56% of production Java applications continue to rely on Java 11, which was released in September 2018. Java 11 remains a popular choice due to its stability and the support it has received since its launch. Following closely, Java 8—an LTS version from 2014—accounts for nearly 33% of monitored applications, though its usage has declined from 46% in 2022. The decline in Java 8’s share highlights the industry’s gradual shift toward newer versions, driven by the need for improved features and support.
The report provides insights into the changing landscape of Java adoption, but it is essential to note that New Relic compiled its findings from data gathered in January 2023. This data is derived from millions of applications that provide performance metrics to New Relic’s observability platform, ensuring a comprehensive yet anonymized overview of Java usage. However, it does not present a complete global picture, as the sample reflects only the applications monitored by New Relic.
Overall, the growth of Java 17 and the rise of Amazon Corretto signal a dynamic shift in the Java ecosystem. As developers and organizations adapt to these changes, the emphasis on upgrading to newer LTS versions and leveraging robust JDK distributions will likely continue to shape the future of Java development. This evolution presents both challenges and opportunities, compelling developers to stay informed about the latest trends and technologies in the ever-evolving Java landscape.