Insights from the 2024 Java Developer Productivity Report
The 2024 Java Productivity Report from Perforce Software reveals significant insights into the current landscape for Java developers and tools. According to the survey, a majority of respondents indicated their companies are planning to expand their Java developer teams this year, reflecting a strong demand for Java expertise in the market. Concurrently, nearly half of the surveyed companies are looking to increase their budgets for Java tools, signaling a continued investment in enhancing developer productivity and software quality.
Released on March 5, the report gathered responses from 440 Java users worldwide, encompassing both Perforce customers and non-customers across 72 countries, with a notable representation from the United States comprising 27% of respondents. The survey was conducted between November 2023 and January 2024, primarily targeting Java developers and architects.
Among the findings, 60% of respondents indicated plans to onboard new Java developers in 2024, while only 13% reported no such plans (with 27% unsure). Regarding tool budgets, 42% of respondents expressed intentions to boost their expenditures on Java tools, highlighting a cautious optimism in resource allocation despite general budget constraints observed in other areas.
In terms of Java version adoption, the report highlighted a diverse landscape: 11% of respondents have already upgraded to Java 21, the latest standard version, while significant numbers continue to rely on older versions such as Java 8 (24%) and Java 11 (18%). This distribution underscores the ongoing reliance on third-party support providers like Amazon, Azul, and OpenLogic, particularly as Oracle discontinued Premier-level support for Java 8 in March 2022.
Looking ahead, Perforce anticipates a gradual uptick in Java 21 adoption as Oracle adjusts its long-term support release cadence to biennial intervals, aiming to align more closely with evolving industry demands and technological advancements. This strategic shift is expected to influence future trends in Java development and support strategies across the global software landscape.
The report featured responses from 440 Java users worldwide, with a mix of Perforce customers and non-customers. Respondents were spread across 72 countries, with 27% from the United States. Polling was conducted from November 2023 to January 2024. Most respondents were either Java developers or Java architects.
Regarding Java usage trends, 11% said they had already upgraded to the most recent version of standard Java, Java 21, while 24% said they were using Java 8 and 18% said they were using Java 11. Given that Oracle discontinued Premier-level support for Java 8 in March 2022, the Java 8 figure implies that companies are getting support from third-party vendors such as Amazon, Azul, and OpenLogic, Perforce said.