Even though newer languages like Python are gaining in popularity, Java remains one of the top 10 most used programming languages despite being 25 years old. In fact, Java has grown into a thriving community and is now the language of choice for many back-end development projects, such as Big Data and Machine-Learning initiatives, as well as Web and Android development. This begs the question: After 25 years, why is it still so popular?

Dean Vaughan, Vice President, APAC, at Azul, shed light on Java’s continuing popularity in an exclusive interview with Data & Storage ASEAN, where he emphasised that “Java just works.” Vaughan further added: "There are so many trained Java engineers out there [because] it's an easy, broad language that's widely used."

Azul, incidentally, is at the forefront of Java innovation, and time is of the essence in the rapidly developing digital industry.

The Cloud Paradox

Some people may make the cloud out to be a miracle solution. While the cloud obviously delivers on its promise at the outset of a business's journey, the pressure it places on margins might start to exceed the advantages as a firm expands and growth slows. This is becoming clearer as industry experience with the cloud grows and we see a more complete picture of the cloud lifecycle on a company's economics. This is what the so-called cloud paradox is about and, according to Vaughan, it has three main points:

1. Overprovisioning. Cloud computing is inevitable for businesses due to its scalability, flexibility, and reliability. But as Vaughan points out, companies have too many cloud providers and are overprovisioning their resources for cloud services. Yes, cloud computing can very well deliver on its promise, mostly at the beginning of a company's cloud journey; however, the strain it places on revenues as the business grows and growth slows might eventually exceed the benefits. When this transition occurs later in a company's lifecycle, it is the result of years of development that prioritised new features above infrastructure efficiency. Large corporations can afford to renegotiate their subscription terms, while small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) will not have the same luxury.

2. Elasticity. According to Vaughan, Vanguard found that "cloud expenditure ranging from 75 to 80% of the cost of sales was frequent among software businesses." In fact, a one-billion-dollar private software company reported that its public cloud spending accounted for 81% of its COR. Since elasticity works both ways, the gap between planned and actual expenditures is often around 20%. Vanguard, in the same report, found that some businesses were planning to, in the words of Vaughan, “simply blow out on the threshold,” or spend at least twice as much on the cloud as they should.

3. Governance. While Vaughan deems the cloud’s pay -only-what-you-need model as “great,” he does note, however, that there is “really little mechanism to cap it." So, if every division in the organisation insists that its own project is a "priority" and demands the release of its own applications, the demand for cloud resources would quickly spiral out of control. Under this scenario, the organisation generally will not have any control over how the cloud is used. Then, after all is said and done, the consumption will oftentimes exceed the organisation’s capacity and blow expenses over.

These issues necessitate a high-performance Java Virtual Machine that makes more effective use of cloud resources, thereby reducing the number of cloud instances required without sacrificing any of the cloud's favourable characteristics.

What Is Azul About?

Azul has been very vocal about the cloud paradox, which is why it is mostly driven to find ways to bring down the out-of-control prices of cloud computing—a cloud dilemma that has plagued many businesses—by increasing overall performance. By abstracting away all the computational aspects of Java, including Java memory management and garbage collection, Azul's flagship solution, Platform Prime, runs lighter and is more efficient. This then helps lower clients' cloud expenses by up to 50%.

Download this white paper by Azul to find out more about the cloud paradox.

In addition, Azul’s hyper-optimised runtime, which aims to enhance performance while driving down infrastructure costs, significantly improves the speed and scalability of the Java ecosystem. This improves Java speed under increasing loads while still processing a larger number of transactions on the same infrastructure. This benefit is particularly crucial in businesses where time is of the essence and financial constraints are not that big of a factor. The Financial Services Industry (FSI), for instance, requires reliable, lightning-fast everyday transactions, with FSI institutions likely to lose millions of dollars if a project is delayed or interrupted.

Unlike Oracle, Azul offers a wider range of Java JDK versions than any other vendor. Take version 7, which is still frequently used today. When someone says "Java," most people in the Asia-Pacific region immediately think of Oracle. Azul is looking to change that prevailing mindset. Specifically, Azul is effectively saying, in the words of Vaughan, that “there is another choice out there for Java,” and gives customers a free-floating option between cutting costs and maximising performance.

Big Is Not Always Better

Oracle’s JDK undoubtedly has huge visibility in this region. However, the emergence of Azul as a viable alternative that improves efficiency and reduces costs is a development worth embracing. Vaughan, while admitting that Oracle JDK has the popular vote, reminded IT teams and decision-makers to look at the performance and reliability advantages that Azul can bring with its lines of products.

To that end, Vaughan made sure to emphasise that big is not necessarily better—not when there is an alternative like Azul that is committed to innovating and bringing Java to the next level. In which case, that alternative might just be better, especially for companies either trapped in the aforementioned cloud paradox or are looking to avoid falling into it.