On May 23 this year, the Java programming language will turn 25 years old. Created by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems in 1995 as a means of supporting an anticipated market for interactive televisions and other “living room” devices, Java has since evolved into an overwhelmingly dominant programming powerhouse, infuencing nearly every facet of corporate and consumer software development.
What’s left, then, for Java and its current caretaker, Oracle Corp? It has been a full 10 years since the company acquired Sun Microsystems and with that the Java programming language. As it turns out, there is plenty of opportunity left on the table, assuming Oracle wishes the language to retain its leadership position and not fall prey to old rivals and emerging disruptors alike. In this report, Omdia takes a close look at the Java programming language on its 25th birthday and discusses how this important language will need to evolve in the face of an enterprise market that is rapidly moving beyond the very notions that brought Java into existence and have allowed it to remain relevant to this day.