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How SoftwareOne helps organisations assess their Java environment and reduce exposure through tailored optimisation strategies
Why Java Is Becoming a Costly Compliance Risk for Enterprise IT
Java has long been a foundational technology embedded in enterprise IT environments. For years, many organisations relied on Oracle Java Standard Edition (SE) without incurring additional costs—until recent licencing changes disrupted this status quo.
What Changed?
Starting in early 2019, Oracle shifted its Java support policy. Critical updates, patches, and support for all Long Term Support (LTS) releases of Java SE now require a paid subscription. This change means that organisations still running legacy versions, such as Java SE 8, face new licencing fees that can significantly impact budgets.
Additionally, Oracle introduced more complex licencing terms, including a new ‘Employee’ metric. This metric requires organisations to account for all employees, contractors, and supporting consultants across their entire estate. For many businesses, this has created unexpected compliance challenges.
Why Is This a Concern?
Historically, Java was bundled as part of standard software builds, often deployed without active management or licencing oversight. Today, organisations may have multiple versions of the Java Development Kit (JDK) and Java Runtime Environment (JRE) deployed across servers, desktops, and cloud platforms—all of which must be accurately licenced.
Without a clear picture of their Java estate, organisations risk facing costly audits, penalties, and budget overruns.
How Can Organisations Respond?
Navigating these changes requires a strategic approach. Most of the time, the customer doesn’t have entitlement. The outcome we aim for includes one or a combination of the following:
- Mitigate the potential exposure by utilising a non-Oracle version of Java
- Negotiate a bespoke agreement for the use of Oracle Java
- Remove Oracle Java completely
Take Control of Your Java Environment
Understanding your Java licencing position is essential to managing costs and reducing risk. Whether your organisation is planning ahead or responding to compliance concerns, expert guidance can make all the difference.
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