Java at 30: Scott McNealy Recalls a Language That Changed the Internet
As newer programming languages like Python and Rust dominate headlines, Java quietly approaches its 30th anniversary with enduring strength. At the JavaOne 2025 conference this week, held in Redwood Shores, California, former Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy took the stage alongside Oracle executives to reflect on Java’s beginnings and its sustained relevance. Sun Microsystems, under McNealy’s leadership, gave birth to Java in the mid-1990s—and while the original idea was to power a smart TV clicker, the technology took a very different and more influential path.
During his keynote on March 18, McNealy recounted hiring James Gosling, the engineer who would go on to create Java. Initially tasked with developing software for an integrated set-top box, Gosling needed both an operating system and a programming language flexible enough for the job. The set-top box never made it to market, but Java did. Its real breakout moment came soon after a meeting with Netscape’s Marc Andreessen, which led to Java being embedded in web browsers and downloaded by the hundreds of thousands. “We never did ship a clicker,” McNealy joked, “but Java helped launch the Internet.” He added, “Java is still top three [among languages] in the world 30 years later, and I think it’s number one for people who are doing real work, and doing enterprise.”
Oracle, which acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010, has since become Java’s steward. Georges Saab, Oracle’s senior vice president of Java development, emphasized Java’s dominant role in today’s tech landscape. “Today, the world truly runs on Java,” Saab said, pointing out that 94 of the Fortune 100 companies rely on the language. Major platforms like Uber, LinkedIn, and Netflix are just a few high-profile users. Mark Reinhold, Oracle’s chief architect for Java, underscored the language’s consistent popularity, noting that it remains a key choice for developers building mission-critical systems around the globe.
Reinhold also highlighted the principles guiding Java’s continued evolution: readability and compatibility. “We will evolve the language but cautiously, with a long-term view,” he said. That philosophy, he argued, is what keeps Java relevant decade after decade. As Java prepares to celebrate its 30th birthday on May 23, the language stands as a rare example of both staying power and forward momentum in a fast-changing software world.