Plan Your Java Upgrade Ahead of Microsoft’s 2027 Support Milestones
In April 2021, we announced the Microsoft Build of OpenJDK. We were starting with a preview of our Java 11 builds for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Today, if you’re planning a Java upgrade on Azure, you have several generations of that work to build on: 11, 17, 21, and now 25. Java 8 has been part of that work too, with help from the fine folks at the Eclipse Foundation’s Eclipse Adoptium project. Microsoft has supported Java 8 on Azure using their Eclipse Temurin builds of OpenJDK 8, rather than producing a Microsoft Build of OpenJDK 8. That collaboration goes back to the launch: our first Java 11 builds also used Adoptium’s build scripts and quality assurance suite. Supporting those releases has meant years of updates. Now it’s time to plan the next move. The Microsoft Build of OpenJDK support roadmap lists September 2027 as the earliest end-of-support date for Java 11 and 17. That’s a distribution-wide milestone: if you use those Microsoft builds on a VM, in a container, on Kubernetes, on Azure platform services, or evem outside Azure, it belongs in your upgrade planning. These dates are initial targets, and Microsoft may extend them. However, consider taking action now. Azure services also have their own deadlines. Azure App Service and Azure Functions support for Java 8, 11, and 17 ends on September 1, 2027. Existing applications will continue to run, but the affected Java versions will no longer receive security updates, improvements, or related customer support. If that’s your application, the practical question is how to get to Java 21 or 25 while keeping it working. GitHub Copilot modernization gives you a tool: the Modernize CLI, which can assess your code, help plan the upgrade, and actually perform and apply changes for you to review. Continue reading on the Java at Microsoft blog...Building the agentic future together at JDConf 2026
JDConf 2026 is just weeks away, and I’m excited to welcome Java developers, architects, and engineering leaders from around the world for two days of learning and connection. Now in its sixth year, JDConf has become a place where the Java community compares notes on their real-world production experience: patterns, tooling, and hard-earned lessons you can take back to your team, while we keep moving the Java systems that run businesses and services forward in the AI era. This year’s program lines up with a shift many of us are seeing first-hand: delivery is getting more intelligent, more automated, and more tightly coupled to the systems and data we already own. Agentic approaches are moving from demos to backlog items, and that raises practical questions: what’s the right architecture, where do you draw trust boundaries, how do you keep secrets safe, and how do you ship without trading reliability for novelty? JDConf is for and by the people who build and manage the mission-critical apps powering organizations worldwide. Across three regional livestreams, you’ll hear from open source and enterprise practitioners who are making the same tradeoffs you are—velocity vs. safety, modernization vs. continuity, experimentation vs. operational excellence. Expect sessions that go beyond “what” and get into “how”: design choices, integration patterns, migration steps, and the guardrails that make AI features safe to run in production. You’ll find several practical themes for shipping Java in the AI era: connecting agents to enterprise systems with clear governance; frameworks and runtimes adapting to AI-native workloads; and how testing and delivery pipelines evolve as automation gets more capable. To make this more concrete, a sampling of sessions would include topics like Secrets of Agentic Memory Management (patterns for short- and long-term memory and safe retrieval), Modernizing a Java App with GitHub Copilot (end-to-end upgrade and migration with AI-powered technologies), and Docker Sandboxes for AI Agents (guardrails for running agent workflows without risking your filesystem or secrets). The goal is to help you adopt what’s new while hardening your long lived codebases. JDConf is built for community learning—free to attend, accessible worldwide, and designed for an interactive live experience in three time zones. You’ll not only get 23 practitioner-led sessions with production-ready guidance but also free on-demand access after the event to re-watch with your whole team. Pro tip: join live and get more value by discussing practical implications and ideas with your peers in the chat. This is where the “how” details and tradeoffs become clearer. JDConf 2026 Keynote Building the Agentic Future Together Rod Johnson, Embabel | Bruno Borges, Microsoft | Ayan Gupta, Microsoft The JDConf 2026 keynote features Rod Johnson, creator of the Spring Framework and founder of Embabel, joined by Bruno Borges and Ayan Gupta to explore where the Java ecosystem is headed in the agentic era. Expect a practitioner-level discussion on how frameworks like Spring continue to evolve, how MCP is changing the way agents interact with enterprise systems, and what Java developers should be paying attention to right now. Register. Attend. Earn. Register for JDConf 2026 to earn Microsoft Rewards points, which you can use for gift cards, sweepstakes entries, and more. Earn 1,000 points simply by signing up. When you register for any regional JDConf 2026 event with your Microsoft account, you'll automatically receive these points. Get 5,000 additional points for attending live (limited to the first 300 attendees per stream). On the day of your regional event, check in through the Reactor page or your email confirmation link to qualify. Disclaimer: Points are added to your Microsoft account within 60 days after the event. Must register with a Microsoft account email. Up to 10,000 developers eligible. Points will be applied upon registration and attendance and will not be counted multiple times for registering or attending at different events. Terms | Privacy JDConf 2026 Regional Live Streams Americas – April 8, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM PDT (UTC -7) Bruno Borges hosts the Americas stream, discussing practical agentic Java topics like memory management, multi-agent system design, LLM integration, modernization with AI, and dependency security. Experts from Redis, IBM, Hammerspace, HeroDevs, AI Collective, Tekskills, and Microsoft share their insights. Register for Americas → Asia-Pacific – April 9, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM SGT (UTC +8) Brian Benz and Ayan Gupta co-host the APAC stream, highlighting Java frameworks and practices for agentic delivery. Topics include Spring AI, multi-agent orchestration, spec-driven development, scalable DevOps, and legacy modernization, with speakers from Broadcom, Alibaba, CERN, MHP (A Porsche Company), and Microsoft. Register for Asia-Pacific → Europe, Middle East and Africa – April 9, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM GMT (UTC +0) The EMEA stream, hosted by Sandra Ahlgrimm, will address the implementation of agentic Java in production environments. Topics include self-improving systems utilizing Spring AI, Docker sandboxes for agent workflow management, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, modernization initiatives from a national tax authority, and AI-driven CI/CD enhancements. Presentations will feature experts from Broadcom, Docker, Elastic, Azul Systems, IBM, Team Rockstars IT, and Microsoft. Register for EMEA → Make It Interactive: Join Live Come prepared with an actual challenge you’re facing, whether you’re modernizing a legacy application, connecting agents to internal APIs, or refining CI/CD processes. Test your strategies by participating in live chats and Q&As with presenters and fellow professionals. If you’re attending with your team, schedule a debrief after the live stream to discuss how to quickly use key takeaways and insights in your pilots and projects. Learning Resources Java and AI for Beginners Video Series: Practical, episode-based walkthroughs on MCP, GenAI integration, and building AI-powered apps from scratch. Modernize Java Apps Guide: Step-by-step guide using GitHub Copilot agent mode for legacy Java project upgrades, automated fixes, and cloud-ready migrations. AI Agents for Java Webinar: Embedding AI Agent capabilities into Java applications using Microsoft Foundry, from project setup to production deployment. Java Practitioner’s Guide: Learning plan for deploying, managing, and optimizing Java applications on Azure using modern cloud-native approaches. Register Now JDConf 2026 is a free global event for Java teams. Join live to ask questions, connect, and gain practical patterns. All 23 sessions will be available on-demand. Register now to earn Microsoft Rewards points for attending. Register at JDConf.com
Modernizing Spring Boot Applications with GitHub Copilot App Modernization
Upgrading Spring Boot applications from 2.x to the latest 3.x releases introduces significant changes across the framework, dependencies, and Jakarta namespace. These updates improve long-term support, performance, and compatibility with modern Java platforms, but the migration can surface breaking API changes and dependency mismatches. GitHub Copilot app modernization helps streamline this transition by analyzing your project, generating an upgrade plan, and applying targeted updates. Supported Upgrade Path GitHub Copilot app modernization supports upgrading Spring Boot applications to Spring Boot 3.5, including: Updating Spring Framework libraries to 6.x Migrating from javax to jakarta Aligning dependency versions with Boot 3.x Updating plugins and starter configurations Adjusting build files for the required JDK level Validating dependency updates and surfacing CVE issues These capabilities complement the Microsoft Learn quickstart for upgrading Java projects using GitHub Copilot app modernization. How GitHub Copilot app modernization helps When you open a Spring Boot 2.x project in Visual Studio Code or IntelliJ IDEA and initiate an upgrade, GitHub Copilot app modernization performs: Project Analysis Detects your current Spring Boot version Identifies incompatible starters, libraries, and plugins Flags javax.* imports requiring Jakarta migration Evaluates your build configuration and JDK requirements Upgrade Plan Generation The tool produces an actionable plan that outlines: New Spring Boot parent version Updated Spring Framework and related modules Required namespace changes from javax.* to jakarta.* Build plugin updates JDK configuration alignment for Boot 3 You can review and adjust the plan before applying changes. Automated Transformations GitHub Copilot app modernization applies targeted changes such as: Updating spring-boot-starter-parent to 3.5.x Migrating imports to jakarta.* Updating dependencies and BOM versions Rewriting removed or deprecated APIs Aligning test dependencies (e.g., JUnit 5) Build / Fix Iteration The agent automatically: Builds the project Captures failures Suggests fixes Applies updates Rebuilds until the project compiles successfully This loop continues until all actionable issues are addressed. Security & Behavior Checks As part of the upgrade, the tool can: Validate CVEs introduced by dependency version changes Surface potential behavior changes Recommend optional fixes Expected Output After running the upgrade for a Spring Boot 2.x project, you should expect: An updated Spring Boot parent in Maven or Gradle Spring Framework 6.x and Jakarta-aligned modules Updated starter dependencies and plugin versions Rewritten imports from javax.* to jakarta.* Updated testing stack A summary file detailing: Versions updated Code edits applied Dependencies changed CVE results Remaining manual review items Developer Responsibilities GitHub Copilot app modernization accelerates technical migration tasks, but final validation still requires developer review, including: Running the full test suite Reviewing custom filters, security configuration, and web components Re-validating integration points Confirming application behavior across runtime environments The tool handles mechanical upgrade work so you can focus on correctness, quality, and functional validation. Learn more For setup, prerequisites, and the broader Java upgrade workflow, refer to the official Microsoft Learn guide: Quickstart: Upgrade a Java Project with GitHub Copilot App Modernization Install GitHub Copilot app modernization for VS Code and IntelliJ IDEAWhat's new in Azure Container Apps at Ignite'25
Azure Container Apps (ACA) is a fully managed serverless container platform that enables developers to design and deploy microservices and modern apps without requiring container expertise or needing infrastructure management. ACA is rapidly emerging as the preferred platform for hosting AI workloads and intelligent agents in the cloud. With features like code interpreter, Serverless GPUs, simplified deployments, and per-second billing, ACA empowers developers to build, deploy, and scale AI-driven applications with exceptional agility. ACA makes it easy to integrate agent frameworks, leverage GPU acceleration, and manage complex, multi-container AI environments - all while benefiting from a serverless, fully managed infrastructure. External customers like Replit, NFL Combine, Coca-Cola, and European Space Agency as well as internal teams like Microsoft Copilot (as well as many others) have bet on ACA as their compute platform for AI workloads. ACA is quickly becoming the leading platform for updating existing applications and moving them to a cloud-native setup. It allows organizations to seamlessly migrate legacy workloads - such as Java and .NET apps - by using AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot to automate code upgrades, analyze dependencies, and handle cloud transformations. ACA’s fully managed, serverless environment removes the complexity of container orchestration. This helps teams break down monolithic or on-premises applications into robust microservices, making use of features like version control, traffic management, and advanced networking for fast iteration and deployment. By following proven modernization strategies while ensuring strong security, scalability, and developer efficiency, ACA helps organizations continuously innovate and future-proof their applications in the cloud. Customers like EY, London Stock Exchange, Chevron, and Paychex have unlocked significant business value by modernizing their workloads onto ACA. This blog presents the latest features and capabilities of ACA, enhancing its value for customers by enabling the rapid migration of existing workloads and development of new cloud applications, all while following cloud-native best practices. Secure sandboxes for AI compute ACA now supports dynamic shell sessions, currently available in public preview. These shell sessions are platform-managed built-in containers designed to execute common shell commands within an isolated, sandboxed environment. With the addition of empty shell sessions and an integrated MCP server, ACA enables customers to provision secure, isolated sandboxes instantly - ideal for use cases such as code execution, tool testing, and workflow automation. This functionality facilitates seamless integration with agent frameworks, empowering agents to access disposable compute environments as needed. Customers can benefit from rapid provisioning, improved security, and decreased operational overhead when managing agentic workloads. To learn more about how to add secure sandbox shell sessions to Microsoft Foundry agents as a tool, visit the walkthrough at https://aka.ms/aca/dynamic-sessions-mcp-tutorial. Docker Compose for Agents support ACA has added Docker Compose for Agents support in public preview, making it easy for developers to define agentic applications stack-agnostic, with MCP and custom model support. Combined with native serverless GPU support, Docker Compose for Agents allows fast iteration and scaling for AI-driven agents and application using LangGraph, LangChain CrewAI, Spring AI, Vercel AI SDK and Agno. These enhancements provide a developer-focused platform that streamlines the process for modern AI workloads, bringing together both development and production cycles into one unified environment. Additional regional availability for Serverless GPUs Serverless GPU solutions offer capabilities such as automatic scaling with NVIDIA A100 or T4 GPUs, per-second billing, and strict data isolation within container boundaries. ACA Serverless GPUs are now generally available in 11 additional regions, further facilitating developers’ ability to deploy AI inference, model training, and GPU-accelerated workloads efficiently. For further details on supported regions, please visit https://aka.ms/aca/serverless-gpu-regions. New Flexible Workload Profile The Flexible workload profile is a new option that combines the simplicity of serverless Consumption with the performance and control in Dedicated profiles. It offers a familiar pay-per-use model along with enhanced features like scheduled maintenance, dedicated networking, and support for larger replicas to meet demanding application needs. Customers can enjoy the advantages of dedicated resources together with effortless infrastructure management and billing from the Consumption model. Operating on a dedicated compute pool, this profile ensures better predictability and isolation without introducing extra operational complexity. It is designed for users who want the ease of serverless scaling, but also need more control over performance and environmental stability. Confidential Computing Confidential computing support is now available in public preview for ACA, offering hardware-based Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to secure data in use. This adds to existing encryption of data at rest and in transit by encrypting memory and verifying the cloud environment before processing. It helps protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, including by cloud operators, and is useful for organizations with high security needs. Confidential computing can be enabled via workload profiles, with the preview limited to certain regions. Extending Network capabilities General Availability of Rule-based Routing Rule-based routing for ACA is now generally available, offering users improved flexibility and easier composition when designing microservice architectures, conducting A/B testing, or implementing blue-green deployments. With this feature, you can route incoming HTTP traffic to specific apps within your environment by specifying host names or paths - including support for custom domains. You no longer need to set up an extra reverse proxy (like NGINX); simply define routing rules for your environment, and traffic will be automatically directed to the appropriate target apps. General Availability of Premium Ingress ACA support for Premium Ingress is now Generally Available. This feature introduces environment-level ingress configuration options, with the primary highlight being customizable ingress scaling. This capability supports the scaling of the ingress proxy, enabling customers to better handle higher demand workloads, such as large performance tests. By configuring your ingress proxy to run on workload profiles, you can scale out more ingress instances to handle more load. Running the ingress proxy on a workload profile will incur associated costs. To further enhance the flexibility of your application, this release includes other ingress-related settings, such as termination grace period, idle request timeout, and header count. Additional Management capabilities Public Preview of Deployment labels ACA now offers deployment labels in public preview, letting you assign names like dev, staging, or prod to container revisions which can be automatically assigned. This makes environment management easier and supports advanced strategies such as A/B testing and blue-green deployments. Labels help route traffic, control revisions, and streamline rollouts or rollbacks with minimal hassle. With deployment labels, you can manage app lifecycles more efficiently and reduce complexity across environments. General Availability of Durable Task Scheduler support Durable Task Scheduler (DTS) support is now generally available on ACA, empowering users with a robust pro-code workflow solution. With DTS, you can define reliable, containerized workflows as code, benefiting from built-in state persistence and fault-tolerant execution. This enhancement streamlines the creation and administration of complex workflows by boosting scalability, reliability, and enabling efficient monitoring capabilities. What’s next ACA is redefining how developers build and deploy intelligent agents. Agents deployed to Azure Container Apps with Microsoft Agent Framework and Open Telemetry can also be plugged directly into Microsoft Foundry, giving teams a single pane of glass for their agents in Azure. With serverless scale, GPU-on-demand, and enterprise-grade isolation, ACA provides the ideal foundation for hosting AI agents securely and cost-effectively. Utilizing open-source frameworks such as n8n on ACA enables the deployment of no-code automation agents that integrate seamlessly with Azure OpenAI models, supporting intelligent routing, summarization, and adaptive decision-making processes. Similarly, running other agent frameworks like Goose AI Agent on ACA enables it to operate concurrently with model inference workloads (including Ollama and GPT-OSS) within a unified, secure environment. The inclusion of serverless GPU support allows for efficient hosting of large language models such as GPT-OSS, optimizing both cost and scalability for inference tasks. Furthermore, ACA facilitates the remote hosting of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, granting agents secure access to external tools and APIs via streamable HTTP transport. Collectively, these features enable organizations to develop, scale, and manage complex agentic workloads - from workflow automation to AI-driven assistants - while leveraging ACA’s enterprise-grade security, autoscaling capabilities, and developer-centric user experience. In addition to these, ACA also enables a wide range of cross-compatibility with various frameworks and services, making it an ideal platform for running Azure Functions on ACA, Distributed Application Runtime (Dapr) microservices, as well as polyglot apps across .NET / Java / JavaScript. As always, we invite you to visit our GitHub page for feedback, feature requests, or questions about Azure Container Apps, where you can open a new issue or up-vote existing ones. If you’re curious about what we’re working on next, check out our roadmap. We look forward to hearing from you!Announcing Azure Command Launcher for Java
Optimizing JVM Configuration for Azure Deployments Tuning the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for cloud deployments is notoriously challenging. Over 30% of developers tend to deploy Java workloads with no JVM configuration at all, therefore relying on the default settings of the HotSpot JVM. The default settings in OpenJDK are intentionally conservative, designed to work across a wide range of environments and scenarios. However, these defaults often lead to suboptimal resource utilization in cloud-based deployments, where memory and CPU tend to be dedicated for application workloads (use of containers and VMs) but still require intelligent management to maximize efficiency and cost-effectiveness. To address this, we are excited to introduce jaz, a new JVM launcher optimized specifically for Azure. jaz provides better default ergonomics for Java applications running in containers and virtual machines, ensuring a more efficient use of resources right from the start, and leverages advanced JVM features automatically, such as AppCDS and in the future, Project Leyden. Why jaz? Conservative Defaults Lead to Underutilization of Resources When deploying Java applications to the cloud, developers often need to fine-tune JVM parameters such as heap size, garbage collection strategies, and other tuning configurations to achieve better resource utilization and potentially higher performance. The default OpenJDK settings, while safe, do not take full advantage of available resources in cloud environments, leading to unnecessary waste and increased operational costs. While advancements in dynamic heap sizing are underway by Oracle, Google, and Microsoft, they are still in development and will be available primarily in future major releases of OpenJDK. In the meantime, developers running applications on current and older JDK versions (such as OpenJDK 8, 11, 17, and 21) still need to optimize their configurations manually or rely on external tools like Paketo Buildpacks, which automate tuning but may not be suitable for all use cases. With jaz, we are providing a smarter starting point for Java applications on Azure, with default configurations designed for cloud environments. The jaz launcher helps by: Optimizing resource utilization: By setting JVM parameters tailored for cloud deployments, jaz reduces wasted memory and CPU cycles. Improve first-deploy performance: New applications often require trial and error to find the right JVM settings. jaz increases the likelihood of better performance on first deployment. Enhance cost efficiency: By making better use of available resources, applications using jaz can reduce unnecessary cloud costs. This tool is ideal for developers who: Want better JVM defaults without diving deep into tuning guides Develop and deploy cloud native microservices with Spring Boot, Quarkus, or Micronaut Prefer container-based workflows such as Kubernetes and OpenShift Deploy Java workloads on Azure Container Apps, Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Red Hat OpenShift, or Azure VMs How jaz works? jaz sits between your container startup command and the JVM. It will: Detect the cloud environment (e.g., container limits, available memory) Analyzes the workload type and selects best-fit JVM options Launches the Java process with optimized flags, such as: Heap sizing GC selection and tuning Logging and diagnostics settings as needed Example Usage Instead of this: $ JAVA_OPTS="-XX:... several JVM tuning flags" $ java $JAVA_OPTS -jar myapp.jar" Use: $ jaz -jar myapp.jar You will automatically benefit from: Battle-tested defaults for cloud native and container workloads Reduced memory waste Better startup and warmup performance No manual tuning required How to Access jaz (Private Preview) jaz is currently available through a Private Preview. During this phase, we are working closely with selected customers to refine the experience and gather feedback. To request access: 👉 Submit your interest here Participants in the Private Preview will receive access to jaz via easily installed standalone Linux packages for container images of the Microsoft Build of OpenJDK and Eclipse Temurin (for Java 8). Customers will have direct communication with our engineering and product teams to further enhance the tool to fit their needs. For a sneak peek, you can read the documentation. Our Roadmap Our long-term vision for jaz includes adaptive JVM configuration based on telemetry and usage patterns, helping developers achieve optimal performance across all Azure services. ⚙️ JVM Configuration Profiles 📦 AppCDS Support 📦 Leyden Support 🔄 Continuous Tuning 📊 Share telemetry through Prometheus We’re excited to work with the Java community to shape this tool. Your feedback will be critical in helping us deliver a smarter, cloud-native Java runtime experience on Azure.Spring AI 1.0 GA is Here - Build Java AI Apps End-to-End on Azure Today
Spring AI 1.0 is now generally available, and it is ready to help Java developers bring the power of AI into their Spring Boot applications. This release is the result of open collaboration and contributions across the Spring and Microsoft Azure engineering teams. Together, they have made it simple for Java developers to integrate LLMs, vector search, memory, and agentic workflows using the patterns they already know. Why This Matters for Java Developers? Spring AI 1.0, built and maintained by the Spring team at Broadcom with active contributions from Microsoft Azure, delivers an intuitive and powerful foundation for building intelligent apps. You can plug AI into existing Spring Boot apps with minimal friction, using starters and conventions familiar to every Spring developer. Whether you are building new intelligent features or exploring AI use cases, Spring AI and Azure have you covered. Azure - The Complete AI Stack for Java Developers Azure offers every essential component needed to build intelligent Java applications. At the core of this offering is Azure AI Foundry, which provides a unified platform for enterprise AI operations, model builders, and application development. With AI Foundry, Java developers do not need to train or fine-tune models. They can deploy foundation models themselves, interact with already deployed foundation models, or connect to models deployed by their AI engineers or data/ML engineers. Developers can connect to these deployed models, test prompt templates, inspect token usage and latency metrics, and embed model interactions directly into their Spring Boot applications. This platform combines production-grade infrastructure with user-friendly tools, helping developers operate AI-powered applications with confidence. Here is how each piece fits into your Spring development workflow: Model-as-a-Service – Use Azure OpenAI for hosted large language models or choose from models available in Azure AI model inference, including offerings from Meta, Mistral AI, and DeepSeek. These models can be accessed directly using Spring AI starters, allowing your app to summarize, answer, generate, or assist through a simple, declarative API. Vector Databases – Embeddings and vector similarity are essential for semantic search and RAG. Azure provides multiple options: Cosmos DB with vector search support, Azure AI Search for advanced indexing and reranking, PostgreSQL with pgvector for SQL-based access, or Redis for in-memory speed. Spring AI integrates with these options to retrieve relevant context dynamically. Relational Databases – Use familiar relational databases like Azure SQL Database, PostgreSQL, and MySQL for structured data and transactional workloads. These remain the backbone for business logic, customer data, and system state that complement AI-generated content. Chat Memory – Track conversations across multiple turns using memory stores. Cosmos DB and Redis can persist chat memory, enabling your Spring-based agents to retain history, manage context, and respond in a more personalized way. RAG Workflows – Retrieval-Augmented Generation allows models to respond using external knowledge. Spring AI provides out-of-the-box support for RAG using vector stores and document loaders, enabling Java developers to build grounded, trustworthy interactions with minimal boilerplate. Orchestration with MCP – Build intelligent agents that call functions, retrieve data, and reason across steps. With Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, Spring AI apps can integrate seamlessly with external toolchains and invoke capabilities across multiple services. The MCP Java SDK is available through Spring Boot starters, simplifying the creation of both MCP Servers and Clients. App, AI Agent or MCP Server Deployment – Run your Spring AI applications, AI agents, and MCP servers on your choice of Azure compute: Azure App Service for managed deployments, AKS for containerized microservices, Azure Container Apps for serverless scale-out, or Virtual Machines for full control. Spring Boot simplifies packaging and deployment across these environments. In addition to deploying applications built with Spring AI, you can deploy any MCP Server - regardless of the language stack - to Azure and interoperate with it using MCP Clients built with Spring AI. This ensures that Java developers can connect and collaborate with agents and services written by other teams using different technology stacks. Whether you are deploying an AI-powered web app, a backend intelligence service, or a full agentic workflow across services, Azure provides the flexibility, scalability, and operational reliability you need. Fundamentals for Enterprise-Grade AI Applications In production, AI features must align with enterprise requirements like security, reliability, and explainability. Here is how Spring AI and Azure together deliver on these needs: Security and Access Control – Ensure AI features respect role-based access policies. Use keyless or passwordless authentication for Spring Boot apps accessing Azure OpenAI, PostgreSQL + pgvector, Cosmos DB, and connections to Azure SQL, PostgreSQL, and MySQL – using managed identities and Entra ID. Integrate identity with Microsoft Entra ID and protect secrets using Azure Key Vault. Spring Security helps you enforce user-scoped interactions. Safety and Compliance – Use content filtering, prompt injection protection, and policy alignment to control model behavior. Azure OpenAI includes built-in safety filters. Combined with Spring AI’s prompt templates, you can enforce structured, policy-compliant interactions. Observability – Monitor model usage, token consumption, latency, and errors. Spring Boot Actuator and Micrometer provide metrics out-of-the-box. You can export these metrics to Azure Monitor and Application Insights for full-stack visibility. Structured Outputs – Use JSON or XML formats when integrating AI responses into downstream systems. Spring AI supports output parsing and schema validation, so generated content can drive actions within your application without post-processing. Reasoning and Explainability – Let applications show sources, highlight references, or explain decision flows. In domains like healthcare or finance, this transparency builds trust. Spring AI supports tool calling and multi-step workflows that help models reason and communicate clearly. Tools, Demos and Learning Paths As always, you can start at start.spring.io, the easiest place to start any Spring Boot project, to quickly generate your app project using Spring AI, Web and Azure starters like OpenAI, AI Search, Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL + pgvector, relational databases, and Redis. End-to-End Demo – watch a hands-on demo of building enterprise AI agents with Java, Spring, and MCP. Get Started Today! Resources: Azure QuickStart using Spring AI and Spring AI resources Azure QuickStart using Spring AI o Chat o Use Your Data o Completions Spring AI o Spring AI Project o Spring AI Documentation o Spring AI Examples Collaboration and Contributions This GA release of Spring AI reflects the combined engineering and open-source commitment of Broadcom and Microsoft. Special thanks to Adib Saikali, Mark Pollack, Christian Tzolov, Dariusz Jędrzejczyk, Josh Long, Dan Vega, DaShaun Carter, Asir Selvasingh, Theo van Kraay, Mark Heckler, Matt Gotteiner, Govind Kamtamneni, Jorge Balderas, Brendan Mitchell, and Karl Erickson for their leadership, code, documentation, guidance, and community focus. Get Started Today! Everything you need is ready. Build your next AI-powered Java app with Spring AI and Azure. Begin your journey here: aka.ms/spring-aiThe State of Coding the Future with Java and AI – May 2025
Software development is changing fast, and Java developers are right in the middle of it - especially when it comes to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their apps. This report brings together feedback from 647 Java professionals to show where things stand and what is possible as Java and AI come together. One of the biggest takeaways is this: Java developers do not need to be experts in AI, machine learning, or Python. With tools like the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Java SDK, Spring AI, and LangChain4j, they can start adding smart features to their apps using the skills they already have. Whether it is making recommendations, spotting fraud, supporting natural language search or a world of possibilities, AI can be part of everyday Java development. The report walks through real-world approaches that Java developers are already using - things like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), vector databases, embeddings, and AI agents. These are not just buzzwords - they help teams build apps that work well at scale, stay secure, and are easier to manage over time. For teams figuring out where to start, the report includes guidance and simple workflows to make things easier. In short, Java is well-positioned to keep leading in enterprise software. This is an invitation to Java architects, tech leads, decision-makers, and developers to explore what is next and build smarter, more connected apps with AI. Introduction The world of software development is changing fast. Over the past two years, we have seen a major shift – not just in tools and frameworks, but in how developers think about building software. Artificial Intelligence is now part of the everyday conversation – helping developers rethink what their applications can do and how quickly they can build them. In the middle of all this change, it helps to pause and look at where we are. Java developers are especially exploring how to add intelligence to their existing applications or build new ones that can learn, adapt, and scale. But with so many innovative ideas and so much information out there, the real question is – what are developers doing? To answer that, we reached out directly to Java professionals across the world. We wanted to understand their thinking, what they are trying, and what they need to move forward with confidence. Our invitation was simple - "Calling all Java pros – share your insights to help simplify AI-powered apps 👉 aka.ms/java-ai." The response was strong. A total of 647 Java professionals took part: 587 have experience with AI - representing a wide range of perspectives and levels of AI knowledge. 60 have not yet explored AI - but are curious and eager to learn what is possible. Among all respondents: Two-thirds (67%) had 4 to 10 years of Java experience. One-third (33%) had more than 10 years of experience. This report highlights what we learned – and what it means for the future of Java and AI. The Scenario We Asked Java Pros to Imagine “Picture yourself adding an AI-driven feature to an existing Java-based app or building a brand-new intelligent application. This feature might improve customer experience – such as personalized recommendations – optimize business processes – like fraud detection – or enhance product searches using natural language. Your goal is to seamlessly integrate this feature, ensuring it is easy to develop, scalable, and maintainable.” An impressive 97 percent of respondents said they would choose Java for building this type of intelligent application. A Common Misconception 90 percent of respondents believed that building intelligent Java apps would require deep experience with AI, Machine Learning, or Python. Developers Can Start to Deliver Production-Grade Intelligent Java Apps without AI, ML, or Python Skills Myth of AI/ML and Java Java developers already have what they need – today – to build intelligent applications using modern Java-first frameworks such as Model Context Protocol (MCP) Java SDK, Spring AI, or LangChain4j. No prior experience in Python or Machine Learning is required for Java developers to begin adding intelligent features to their apps. Connecting a Java application to backend AI systems – including Large Language Models and Vector Databases – is conceptually like working with REST APIs or traditional SQL and NoSQL databases. Modern libraries like MCP Java SDK, Spring AI, and LangChain4j make it easier for developers to build and enhance AI-powered Java applications. These frameworks offer support for: Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Conversational memory Conversation logging Integration with vector stores Secure, observable, and safe-by-default interactions Streamed outputs and structured reasoning Java continues to play a leading role in enterprise software. This gives Java developers a natural advantage – and a unique opportunity – to lead the way in delivering intelligent features inside core business applications. It is also important to note that tasks requiring deep AI and Data Science knowledge are best left to specialists. Java developers can focus on app logic, integration, and delivering business value without needing to become AI experts themselves. In-Process vs HTTP-Based - A Common Misstep in AI Application Design AI-powered applications can be built in different ways - and one of the patterns is to embed the model directly within the same app that handles business logic and exposes the API. This is known as the in-process approach. In this setup, the model is loaded at runtime, using local weights and often relying on a GPU for inference. It is a convenient option - especially when working with models you have created from scratch or downloaded for use in your own application. The Shift to Model-as-a-Service - A Simple History Before foundation models were made available as services, most AI models were custom-built for specific use cases – like classifying documents, detecting anomalies, or predicting demand. These models were typically developed in Python using frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch. Because development and usage happened in the same environment, it was natural to load the model directly into the application’s memory using local weights, and to rely on a local GPU for inference. This model-in-app pattern made sense when the app and the model were designed together. Many popular Python-based libraries, including PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Hugging Face Transformers, encourage this in-process setup by default. As a result, the model often becomes a local function call - tightly coupled to the application’s logic and runtime. However, that convenience introduces scaling and maintenance challenges. Every application instance must run on a machine with GPU access. You must allocate GPU resources per app, even when the app is idle. As demand grows, this leads to higher infrastructure costs, lower resource efficiency, and architectural rigidity. If you scale the app, you are often forced to scale GPU capacity along with it - even if only the app's business logic needs scaling. The Rise of HTTP-Based Integration with Model-as-a-Service The introduction of foundation models like GPT-4, available through services such as OpenAI and Azure OpenAI, brought a shift in how models are used in applications. These models are designed to handle a wide range of tasks and are offered as cloud-hosted APIs - a model-as-a-service approach. Instead of embedding the model into each application, you send a request over HTTP and receive a response. This change enables a new design pattern: the application and the model are treated as separate services. The app handles business logic, while the model service handles inference. This pattern brings clear advantages - modularity, cleaner separation of concerns, centralized control over GPU infrastructure, and the ability to reuse models across many applications. The diagram above illustrates this shift. On the left, the in-process setup binds the model tightly to the application, requiring direct GPU access and local weights. On the right, the HTTP-based setup enables applications written in any language stack - such as Java, Python, JavaScript, .NET, or Go - to interact with a shared model endpoint over HTTP. This separation makes it easier to update models, manage infrastructure, including GPU infrastructure, and scale intelligently. It also reflects how most modern AI platforms are now built. HTTP-based integration is scalable, cost-effective, and designed for modern application environments. It reduces operational complexity and gives developers the flexibility to choose the architecture that fits their needs - without being locked into one stack, tools, models, or setup. Myth about Python As we listened to Java developers across the community, a familiar pattern emerged. Many shared their experiences - and sometimes frustrations - when working with AI technologies in Java. These were not just passing remarks. They reflected real challenges - especially when it came to building or training machine learning models, where Python has long been the preferred environment. Here is a glimpse into what we heard: “Java has fewer AI-specific libraries compared to Python. Libraries like TensorFlow and PyTorch are more mature and feature-rich in Python, making it easier to implement complex AI models.” “Working on AI-powered applications with Java presents challenges, especially when building or training models. The ecosystem is not as deep as Python’s, which has tools like Scikit-learn and notebooks like Jupyter.” “Even though Java can be used for AI, the support for GPU acceleration is not as seamless as it is in Python. You need extra setup and tuning.” “There are fewer Java developers with strong AI backgrounds. It is harder to find or grow a team when Python seems to be the go-to language for most ML engineers.” These are all honest, valid observations. If the job-to-be-done is building foundation models, training models from scratch, or fine-tuning existing models, then Python is a natural choice. It offers the right tools, libraries, and ecosystem support to do that job well. But here is what really matters today: Most AI application developers - including those working in Java - are not training or fine-tuning models. They are not building models from the ground up or optimizing low-level GPU workloads. Instead, they are focused on a different job: Connecting to existing foundation models. Calling AI services over REST APIs. Using AI libraries like Spring AI and LangChain4j to orchestrate intelligent workflows. Querying vector databases. Embedding AI capabilities into production-grade enterprise applications. This distinction is clearly reflected in the diagram above. On the right side, you see “Model Training and Development” as a separate, specialized job. It is critical work - best handled by teams with deep expertise in data science and model engineering. On the left side, you see the application architecture most Java developers work with every day: REST APIs, business logic, database integration, and calls to external AI models and vector stores using AI libraries. This is where Java fits. Java developers are not building models - they are building apps on top of foundation models. And with tools like MCP Java SDK, Spring AI, and LangChain4j, they are not playing catch-up - they are building what matters, integrate AI into existing apps and capabilities. You do not need to train models. You just need to wire up the right parts, connect to the services that make AI possible, and deliver intelligent functionality where it belongs - inside the applications your organization already depends on. “You can be an AI application developer - in less than 2 minutes. Minute 1: Sign up for access to an LLM - Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, whatever. Get yourself an API key. Minute 2: Head to https://start.spring.io, specify `OpenAI` (or whatever), hit `Generate`, and then open your new Spring Boot + Spring AI project in your IDE. In your `application.properties`, you’ll need to specify your API key. Then, inject the auto-configured `ChatClient` somewhere in your code. Use the `ChatClient` to make a request to your model. Congratulations - you’re an AI application developer!” -- Josh Long, Spring Developer Advocate, Broadcom "Is Java still relevant in this new era of AI?" "How do I, with my years of Java expertise, even begin to work with these Large Language Models today?" These are questions I have heard time and again at community events and industry conferences. Today, Java developers are at a pivotal moment. Our existing skills are not just still relevant - they are the foundation for building the next generation of AI-powered applications. Thanks to frameworks like Quarkus, Langchain4j, and MCP integration, we can bridge the world of traditional enterprise development with the fast-growing world of AI - all without giving up the strengths and familiarity of Java.” – Daniel Oh, Senior Principal Developer Advocate, Red Hat The future of AI in software development will be defined by who integrates AI well into applications - both existing and new apps. Most AI-related development will be connecting models to solve real problems inside real applications. And in that space, Java is already strong. From financial services to healthcare, logistics to manufacturing - Java powers the business logic and workflows that now need to become intelligent. This is where Java developers shine. And with the right tools, they are more than ready to lead. Crucial Elements for Java AI Applications As we looked deeper into the survey results, one thing became clear – Java developers are not just interested in adding AI for the sake of it. They are focused on building practical, enterprise-ready features that are reliable, secure, and easy to maintain. 98% of respondents highlighted a core set of approaches or elements that they see as essential for any AI-powered Java application: Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) – Bringing real-time, context-aware answers by grounding responses in trusted data. This is especially useful in enterprise scenarios where accuracy and context matter. Embeddings and Vector Databases – Enabling efficient semantic search and advanced knowledge retrieval. Developers recognize this as the key to making applications “understand” the meaning behind user inputs. Function Calling or Tool Calling – Allowing AI models to interact with APIs, pull in real-time data, or trigger backend workflows. This is where AI starts to act – not just suggest – making it a true part of the application logic. AI Agents – These are not just chatbots. Agents are intelligent programs that can automate or assist with tasks on behalf of users or teams. They combine reasoning, memory, and action – gathering information and triggering responses dynamically. For many developers, agents represent the next step toward intelligent automation inside business-critical workflows. Fundamentals for Enterprise-Grade AI Applications When building applications for the enterprise, developers know that intelligence alone is not enough. Trust, safety, and integration matter just as much. These are the foundational features Java developers called out: Security and Access Control – Making sure AI features respect user roles, protect sensitive data, and fit into enterprise identity systems. Safety and Compliance – Filtering outputs to align with internal policies, legal regulations, and brand standards. This is especially important for customer-facing features. Observability – Tracking how AI decisions are made, logging user and AI interactions, and making sure there is a clear record of what happened – and why. Structured Outputs – AI responses need to work within the system, not outside it. Structured formats – like JSON or XML – ensure smooth handoffs between the AI component and the rest of the application. Reasoning and Explainability – Developers want AI features that can explain their answers, show their sources, and help users trust the output – especially in domains like finance, healthcare, or compliance. Representative Scenarios and Business Impact To make things more concrete, let us look at two sample scenarios. These are not the only ones – just representative examples to help spark ideas. There is a broad and growing range of real-world situations where Java developers can use AI to create business value. Scenario One – Intelligent Workflow Automation Imagine a production manager at an auto manufacturer - say, Mercedes-Benz or Ford - who needs to align the assembly line schedule with real-time component availability and constantly shifting order priorities. The manager’s question is urgent and complex: “How can I adjust the production schedule based on today’s parts inventory and current orders?” Answering means pulling in data from ERP systems, supply chain feeds, vendor dashboards, and manufacturing operations - a level of complexity that can overwhelm even experienced teams. This is where AI steps in as a true copilot - working alongside the human decision-maker to gather data, flag supply constraints, and highlight scheduling options. Together, they can plan faster, adapt more confidently, and respond to change in real time. For Java developers, this is an opportunity to build intelligent systems that bring together data from ERP, inventory, and order management applications - enabling AI models to interact with information and collaborate with decision-makers. These systems do not rely on AI alone; they depend on strong data integration and reliable workflows - all of which can be designed, secured, and scaled within the Java ecosystem. In this way, AI becomes part of a co-working loop - and Java developers are the ones who make that loop real. Scenario Two – AI-Powered Process Assistants Picture a logistics manager at a major shipping company - FedEx, UPS, or DHL - facing cascading delays due to severe weather across multiple regions. The manager is under pressure to reroute packages efficiently while minimizing disruptions to downstream delivery schedules. The question is urgent: “What is the fastest rerouting option for delayed packages due to weather?” Answering requires combining live weather feeds, traffic data, delivery schedules, hub capacities, and driver availability - all in real time. AI acts as a true copilot at this moment, working alongside the manager to collect relevant signals, flag risk zones, and generate rerouting recommendations. Together, they respond with speed and clarity, keeping shipments moving and customers informed. For Java teams, this is a practical opportunity to build intelligent systems that embed AI into logistics, supply chain, and delivery operations - not by rebuilding everything, but by integrating the right data streams, APIs, and business logic. The real value lies in data orchestration, not just algorithms. Java developers are key to enabling these AI-powered assistants by securing connections across systems and building workflows that help humans and AI collaborate effectively under pressure. More Scenarios – World of Possibilities These two scenarios only scratch the surface. Developers across industries – from healthcare and finance to retail and public services – are finding ways to integrate AI that solve meaningful problems, reduce complexity, and improve how their systems perform. Java and AI Technology Stack So far, we have looked at what developers want to build and how AI is changing the way applications are designed. Now, let us look at the platform behind it all – the technology stack that powers intelligent Java applications. To bring these ideas to life and impact, Java developers need a foundation that connects data, apps, and AI services. We call this an AI application platform. It is not a specific product – it is an integrated platform made up of components that most developer teams already use or are familiar with. The goal of this platform is to make developers more productive while building intelligent features into their applications. It gives teams the freedom to choose familiar tools – while making it easier to bring in AI capabilities when and where they are needed. We group this platform into three areas: The app platform The data platform The AI platform Let us break it down using the numbered diagram: Developer Services: These are the core tools that developers use every day – IDEs, coding assistants, build tools, testing frameworks, CI/CD pipelines. They help you write, debug, and manage application code across your team. Container Services | Platform-as-a-Service: This is the runtime layer – where your applications are deployed and scaled. Whether using containers or a managed platform, this layer handles traffic, performance, and operational efficiency. Data Platform: This is where your application data lives – databases, data lakes, and other storage services. It connects structured data, business logic, and real-time events. AI Platform: This is where intelligence is added. It includes access to large language models, embeddings, vector search, and other tools that support natural language interactions, automation, and decision-making. Together, these four parts form the foundation for building, deploying, and managing AI-powered Java applications. Technology Stacks for Spring Boot and Quarkus Applications To make this more relatable, we highlighted two of the most widely adopted Java frameworks – Spring Boot and Quarkus. These stacks represent popular combinations that many Java teams are already using today for building cloud-native applications. That said, these are just representative examples. There are many valid combinations that developers, platform teams, and organizations can choose – based on their existing tools, workloads, and team preferences. Representative Spring Boot Stack App Platform: App hosting service of choice AI Library: Spring AI AI Platform: OpenAI Business Data: PostgreSQL Vector Database: PostgreSQL Representative Quarkus Stack App Platform: App hosting service of choice AI Library: LangChain4j AI Platform: OpenAI Business Data: PostgreSQL Vector Database: PostgreSQL Both stacks support the core capabilities needed for building intelligent apps – from secure model access and real-time data integration to observability and system-level debugging. But the opportunity does not stop there. Traditional App Servers - Tomcat, WebLogic, JBoss EAP or WebSphere Many enterprise applications continue to run on Tomcat, WebLogic, JBoss EAP, or WebSphere. These are stable platforms that power core business systems – and they are very much part of the AI journey. If you are running on one of these platforms, you can still bring intelligence into your applications. By using a Java library of choice (Spring AI or LangChain4j) , you can connect these applications to Large Language Models (LLMs) and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers – without needing to rewrite or migrate them. This means that intelligence can be added, not just rebuilt – a powerful approach for teams with large existing investments in Java EE or Jakarta EE applications. Whether your Java app is built with Spring Boot, Quarkus, or deployed on a traditional app server, the tools are here – and the path to intelligent applications is open. You do not have to start from scratch. You can start from where you are. Java and MCP – The Bridge to Intelligent Applications One of the most important parts of the Java and AI story is MCP - the Model Context Protocol. MCP is an open, flexible, and interoperable standard that allows large language models to connect with the outside world - and more importantly, with real applications and real data. At its core, MCP is a bridge - a structured way for models to access enterprise data, invoke tools, and collaborate with AI agents. It gives developers control over how data moves, how decisions are made, and how actions are triggered. The result is safer, more predictable AI behavior inside real-world systems. MCP servers can be implemented in any language stack – such as Java, C#, Python, and NodeJS - and integrated into any AI-powered application, regardless of how that application is written. That interoperability makes MCP especially valuable for teams working across systems and languages. If you are building an MCP server using Java, the official MCP Java SDK maintained by Anthropic provides the right starting point. You can also use frameworks like Spring or Quarkus to implement MCP servers with full enterprise capabilities. For those building applications using Spring AI or LangChain4j, both libraries support connecting to any MCP server - whether running locally or remotely - to orchestrate tools, call functions, and manage agent behavior as part of the runtime flow. In addition, ready-to-use implementations like the Azure MCP Server make it easier to add intelligence to backends, orchestrate workflows, and shape AI agent behavior without starting from scratch. Authentication and Authorization Security is a critical part of any enterprise-grade solution - and MCP is no exception. In collaboration with Anthropic, Microsoft proposed a new authorization specification for MCP. This specification has now been finalized and is being implemented across MCP clients and servers to ensure that all interactions are secure, policy-driven, and consistent across environments. This continued investment in standards, tooling, and security is helping MCP mature into a core enabler of intelligent applications - especially for enterprise Java teams looking to move fast without compromising on trust or control. Preferred Libraries – What Java Developers Are Choosing As part of our outreach to 647 Java professionals, we asked a key question: “Which AI frameworks or libraries would you consider for building or integrating intelligence into Java applications?” Here is what they told us: Spring AI - selected by 43 percent. LangChain4j – preferred by 37 percent. These two libraries clearly lead the way. They reflect the maturity of the Java ecosystem and show strong alignment with the two most active communities – Spring and Jakarta EE. Spring AI and LangChain4j offer higher-level abstractions that simplify how developers connect to AI services, manage context, interact with models, and build intelligent features. For developers already working in Spring Boot or Quarkus, these libraries feel familiar – and that lowers the barrier to adding intelligent capabilities into existing codebases. Other Developer Preferences At the same time, a considerable number of developers – 37 percent and 29 percent – also shared that they would prefer to work directly with AI service provider libraries or call REST APIs. This is not a surprise. In fact, it is a healthy signal. Many teams use these lower-level integrations to gain early access to new features or customize interactions in ways that higher-level libraries may not yet support. It is important that these developers know: You are not wrong - but you are not alone either. While direct API integration offers flexibility, AI libraries like Spring AI and LangChain4j are designed to make those experiences easier. They wrap the complexity, manage context, offer tested patterns that align with enterprise application needs - like observability, security, and structured outputs – plug your code into the Spring and Java ecosystem of possibilities for deep integration. Evolving Together As AI services evolve, day-zero support will almost always appear first in the service provider’s native SDKs and REST APIs. That is expected. But as those capabilities stabilize, AI libraries like Spring AI and LangChain4j will latch on – offering developers a smoother, more consistent programming experience. The result: Developers get to start fast with APIs – and scale confidently with higher level libraries and frameworks. Top Challenges and Areas Needing Improvement As part of our research, we asked 647 Java professionals to share the biggest challenges they face – and where they believe improvements would help the most. The answers reflected where the community is today – eager to build but still facing some friction points. Top Challenges Java Developers Encounter Lack of clear starting points and step-by-step guidance. Feeling overwhelmed by the variety of AI models, libraries, and tools. Misconceptions that machine learning expertise is required. Complexity with integrating AI features into existing applications - particularly introduced by suboptimal patterns such as directly calling REST APIs through low-level HTTP libraries, invoking Python-based routines through external OS processes, or loading models into the application’s memory at runtime using local weights and GPU resources. Missing features in some of the current libraries and frameworks. Uncertainty about scaling applications and safely using private models on the cloud. Areas Developers Believe Need the Most Improvement Clear and practical step-by-step workflows. Guidance on how to securely integrate private models. Examples that show how to use chat models for function calling and streaming completions. Educational content that explains completions, reasoning, and data validation. Tools and how-to guides for embedding-based search and question answering. Tutorials on how to leverage external data to improve model output. Java Developers – Familiar with AI vs. New to AI Among all respondents: 87 percent are familiar with AI. 13 percent are newer to AI and just getting started. Java Developers New to AI These developers are exploring use cases, evaluating models, and building early prototypes. Their top challenges are: Lack of clear starting points. Too many options in terms of tools and models. Need for simple, practical guidance. The top areas that will benefit them: Step-by-step development workflows. Examples of using chat models and completions. Simple breakdowns of key concepts like reasoning and validation. Java Developers Familiar with AI These developers are further along – often in development or production stages – and face a wide range of challenges. A top need for them is: Secure ways to integrate private models into Java apps. They also benefit from deeper technical content, patterns, and advanced tooling support. Moving Forward with Confidence This space is evolving faster than anyone expected – and that can feel overwhelming. But the top challenges Java developers face are real, and the community is actively addressing them. It is important not to worry about the number of tools, models, or libraries. That diversity is a sign of progress. Models will keep evolving. New ones will arrive. And this is exactly where higher-level Java libraries step in. Spring AI, LangChain4j, and the MCP Java SDK are designed to simplify the path forward. These libraries create a layer of abstraction that shields your application code from constant changes. You can build once – and switch models or providers as needed, without rewriting core logic. And these libraries are alive. You can see them in action on GitHub – through open issues, pull requests, and rapid updates. If you see a missing feature, open an issue. If you want to contribute, send a pull request. These are responsive communities that welcome participation. “AI, for most people today, effectively means "sending human-language sentences to an HTTP endpoint." 80% of the noise right now is about the artful and scalable connection of these models with your data and business logic - data guarded by services whose business logic is statistically implemented in Spring Boot and Spring AI. We, as JVM developers, are uniquely well-positioned to expand the AI universe. Don’t delay - start (spring.io) today!” -- Josh Long, Spring Developer Advocate, Broadcom “By combining Quarkus’s speed, Langchain4j’s AI orchestration, and MCP’s unified tool access, Java developers are in a unique position to lead this transformation - building intelligent, resilient applications using the tools and approaches we know well. Working with AI is no longer a distant specialty - it is becoming a natural part of modern Java development” -- Daniel Oh, Senior Principal Developer Advocate, Red Hat AI Concepts for App Developers As you build your first intelligent Java applications, it helps to become familiar with key AI concepts such as foundation models, chat models, embedding models, prompts, inference endpoints, context windows, and vector search (see diagram below for a curated list). These concepts are not just theory - they directly shape how your applications interact with AI systems. To make it easier, we created a simple learning prompt that you can use with your favorite Chat Model like ChatGPT and Claude: // Prompt Template for Java Developers Learning AI Concepts // (Replace <TERM> with the topic you want to learn.) I am a Java enterprise app developer focused on building AI-powered Java applications. I do not fully understand what '<TERM>' means. Please explain it to me so simply that I can think about it like a Java library or service I would naturally use. Use examples from enterprise Java (like APIs, search, summarization, customer service bots) that I would typically build. If possible, give a mental model I can remember and relate to Java patterns. Also, suggest a small sample of how I would use '<TERM>' via an API in a Java app, if that helps understanding. You can replace <TERM> with any concept you want to learn, such as "Embedding Model" or "Inference Endpoint," and get a focused, practical explanation that fits how you already think as a Java developer. By practicing with this method, you can quickly build second-nature familiarity with the terms and ideas behind AI development - without needing a research background. With the strong foundation you already have in Java, you will be ready to confidently integrate, adapt, and innovate as AI tools continue to evolve. AI Is Now a Java Developer’s Game You do not need to train your own models to start building intelligent applications. You can do it today - using popular, production-ready foundation models - all within the Java ecosystem you already know and trust. These are still Java applications at their core. What sets you apart is not just your Java expertise - it is your deep understanding of how real business processes work and how to bring them to life in code. You know how to build, secure, scale, and operate reliable systems - and now, you can apply those same skills to deliver AI-powered solutions that run in the environments your teams already use, including Microsoft Azure. AI-Assisted App Development – A Powerful Companion to Building Intelligent Java Apps No discussion about the future of software development is complete without acknowledging the rise of AI-assisted development. This is a separate - but equally important - path alongside building intelligent applications. And it is transforming how developers write, upgrade, and manage code. At the center of this shift is tools like GitHub Copilot - a tool that is reshaping how developers approach their daily work. Developers using GitHub Copilot report coding up to 55 percent faster, freeing up time to focus on design decisions, solving business problems, and writing less boilerplate code. But the benefits go deeper than speed - 75 percent of developers say that Copilot makes their work more satisfying. Today, 46 percent of all code on GitHub is written with AI assistance, and over 20,000 organizations are already embracing these tools to improve development workflows and accelerate delivery. Built Into the Tools You Already Use GitHub Copilot works where Java developers already build – in IDEs like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, and Eclipse. It brings contextual, customizable assistance, powered by the latest models such as gpt-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Whether it is suggesting code snippets, auto-completing functions, or helping enforce best practices, GitHub Copilot enhances the quality of code and the productivity of developers – all while keeping them in control. Helping Modernize and Maintain Java Codebases One of the most exciting capabilities is GitHub Copilot’s growing role in modernizing Java applications. Late last year, the GitHub Copilot App Modernization – Java Upgrade feature entered private preview. This tool is designed to support large, mission-critical tasks like: Upgrading Java versions and frameworks Refactoring code Updating dependencies Aligning to cloud-first practices The process starts with your local Java project. Copilot provides an AI-generated upgrade assistant, and developers stay in the loop to approve changes step-by-step. The goal is to take the heavy lifting out of routine upgrades while ensuring everything remains safe and aligned with your architecture. Beyond App Code – Towards Cloud-Ready Modernization Technology providers like Microsoft are investing deeply in this space to bring additional capabilities into developer workflows – including: Secure identity handling through passwordless authentication Certificate management and secrets handling Integration with PaaS services for storage, data, caching, and observability All of this reduces the time it takes to bring legacy apps forward and prepare them for modern, scalable deployments – so teams can spend more time building intelligent features and less time managing technical debt. Two Paths – One Goal AI-assisted development, including upgrading and modernizing apps with AI, and building intelligent apps are not the same – but together, they form a powerful foundation. One helps you write and modernize code faster, the other helps you deliver smarter features inside your apps. For Java developers, this means there is support at every step – from idea to implementation to impact. Start Today and Move the Java Community Forward The message from 647 Java professionals is clear: Java developers are ready – and the tools they need to build intelligent applications are already here. If you are a Java developer and have not started your AI journey yet now is the right time. You do not need to become an AI expert. You do not need to change your language, tools, or working style. Modern Java frameworks and libraries like Spring AI, LangChain4j, and the MCP Java SDK are designed to work the way you already build – while making it easier to add intelligence, automation, and smart experiences to your applications. You can start with what you know – and grow into what is next: aka.ms/spring-ai and aka.ms/langchain4j. To Java Ecosystem Leaders We also want to speak directly to those shaping the Java ecosystem – community leaders, experienced developers, and technical influencers. Your role is more important than ever. We invite you to: Show what is possible – share real examples of how AI features can be integrated into Java applications with minimal friction. Promote best practices – use meetups, blogs, workshops, and developer forums to spread practical guidance and patterns that others can follow. Improve the experience – contribute documentation, examples, and even code to help close the gaps developers face when starting their AI journeys. Push frameworks forward – help identify and implement missing features that can simplify Java + AI integration and speed up real-world adoption. This is not just about tools – it is about people helping people move forward. Many of you already helped make this research possible – by spreading the word on LinkedIn, sharing the survey, and encouraging others to contribute. Your support made a difference. And now, these findings belong to the entire Java ecosystem – so we can act on them together. To the Java Developers Who Participated Thank you. Your input – your time, your thoughts, your challenges, your ideas – shaped this entire report. You told us what is working, what is missing, and what you need next. We hope this reflection of your voices is helpful – to you and to the broader Java community. The road ahead is exciting – and Java is ready to lead. AI Learning Resources for Java App Developers Azure AI Services documentation Azure AI Services quick starts – like Chat Completions and Use Your Data Build Enterprise Agents using Java and Spring OpenAI RAG with Java, LangChain4j and Quarkus Spring AI Learn how to build effective agents with Spring AI Spring AI reference documentation Prompt Engineering Techniques with Spring AI Spring AI GitHub repo Spring AI examples Spring AI updates The Seamless Path for Spring Developer to the World of Generative AI LangChain4j Supercharge your Java application with the power of LLMs LangChain4j GitHub repo LangChain4j Examples Quarkus LangChain4j Quarkus LangChain4j Workshop LangChain4j updatesJDConf 2025: Announcing Keynote Speaker and Exciting Sessions on Java, Cloud, and AI
Microsoft JDConf 2025 is rapidly approaching and promises to be the must-attend event for Java developers, particularly those interested in the latest advancements in Java, Cloud and AI. This year, the conference will feature over 22 sessions and more than 10 hours of live streaming content for global audience, along with additional on-demand sessions available from April 9 to 10. The spotlight this year is on integrating AI into your development workflow with tools like Copilot, showcasing how these advancements are revolutionizing the coding landscape. Whether you are exploring application modernization, leveraging AI for intelligent apps, or optimizing Java deployments, JDConf has sessions for every interest. Code the future with AI Explore AI-driven Java innovation: Uncover the role of AI in enhancing Java application development on the cloud for greater efficiency and innovation. Livestream for all time zones: Live sessions scheduled to accommodate attendees from around the globe, ensuring no one misses out. Learn from Java experts and innovators: Discover the impact of diversity and open-source innovation in advancing the Java ecosystem. Global networking opportunity: Connect with Java professionals and community leaders worldwide to share knowledge and foster community growth. Free & accessible content: Enjoy all sessions without cost, available live and on-demand for ultimate flexibility. Earn rewards: Join the JDConf experience and earn Microsoft Rewards points. 🌟 RSVP now at JDConf.com !! ⭐ This year’s list of sessions Figure 1: Your quick guide to JDConf 2025: cheat sheet for the keynote and breakout sessions happening across three regions. Do not miss out on planning your perfect conference experience! Technical keynote: Code the future with Java & AI Amanda Silver, Microsoft | Josh Long, Broadcom | Lize Raes, Naboo.ai Join Amanda Silver, CVP and head of product, Microsoft Developer Division, as she takes the stage for the JDConf Opening Keynote, exploring how Java developers can harness the power of AI, cloud, and cutting-edge tools to accelerate development. From Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot to Cloud services, Amanda will showcase how Cloud and AI are transforming the developer experience, enabling teams to go from code to production faster than ever. She’ll also dive into the latest advancements in Java technologies, Microsoft's deep investments in the Java ecosystem, and the company's ongoing commitment to open-source innovation. Don't miss this opportunity to discover how Microsoft is empowering Java developers in the AI era! Session summaries by region Americas live stream - April 9, 8:30am – 12:30pm PDT Spring Boot: Bootiful Spring Boot: A DOGumentary by Josh Long will dive into Spring Boot 3.x and Java 21, exploring AI, modularity, and powerful optimizations like virtual threads, GraalVM, and AppCDS. AI Dev Experience: Boosting AI Developer Experience with Quarkus, LangChain4j, and Azure OpenAI by Daniel Oh will demonstrate how this trio streamlines development and powers intelligent apps. Spring AI: How to Build Agents with Spring AI by Adib Saikali will showcase building intelligent AI agents, covering key patterns like self-editing memory, task orchestration, & collaborative multi-agent systems. Jakarta EE 12: What Comes After Jakarta EE 11? Reza Rahman and Emily Jiang will share roadmap, contribution pathways, and key updates, including Security, Concurrency, Messaging, and new APIs. Deployment: Production Best Practices: Go from Dev to Delivered and Stay There by Mark Heckler will take Java apps from development to production with a focus on CI/CD, containerization, infrastructure as code, and cloud deployment. Cloud-native: Java Cloud-Native Shoot-Out: InstantOn vs CRaC vs Native Image by Yee-Kang Chang and Rich Hagarty will compare three emerging Java technologies; Liberty InstantOn, OpenJDK CRaC, and Native Image to determine which best supports fast start-up times and low resource usage in your cloud-native apps. AI-Driven Testing: Test Smarter, Not Harder: AI-Driven Test Development by Loiane Groner will demo how AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot enhance TDD through automated test generation and improved test coverage, even for legacy code. Asia-Pacific live stream – April 10, 10:00am-1:30pm SGT LLMs integration: Building LLM Apps in Java with LangChain4j and Jakarta EE by Bazlur Rahman and Syed M Shaaf will demonstrates how to integrate large language models (LLMs) into Java apps, including techniques like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and embedding databases. Java Modernization: Modernize Java Apps Using GitHub Copilot Upgrade Assistant for Java by Nick Zhu will show how this tool can help modernize Java apps by automating refactoring, managing dependencies, and resolving version conflicts. Automated Refactoring: The State of AI in Large Scale Automated Refactoring by Jonathan Schneider will show how OpenRewrite’s Lossless Semantic Tree enhances AI-driven refactoring for accurate decision-making. Java Modernization: Cloud Migration of Java Applications Using Various Tools and Techniqueby Yoshio Terada will demo modernizing legacy apps with tools like VS Code, GitHub Copilot, and Azure Migrate. Java & AI: AI for Java Developers by Dan Vega will introduce AI for Java developers, covering machine learning, deep learning, and practical AI implementations such as chatbots, recommendation systems, and sentiment analysis. Hyperscale PaaS: Spring, Quarkus, Tomcat, JBoss EAP - Hyperscale PaaS for Any Java App by Haixia Cheng and Edward Burns will demo how to deploy any Java appson Azure App Service. Buildpacks: Paketo Buildpacks: The Best Way to Build Java Container Images? by Anthony Dahanne and David O'Sullivan will explore the benefits of buildpacks for Java containerization, comparing them with traditional Dockerfile-based approaches. Europe, Middle East and Africa - April 10, 9:00am – 12:30pm GMT Java 25: Explore The Hidden Gems of Java 25 with Mohamed Taman as he uncovers key Java SE features, updates, and fixes that will simplify migration to new Java and enhance your daily development workflow. GitHub Copilot: Use GitHub Copilot in your favorite Java IDEs by Julia Kordick and Brian Benz will show how to maximize productivity with GitHub Copilot’s latest features in IntelliJ, VS Code, and Eclipse. LangChain4j: AI-Powered Development: Hands-On Techniques for Immediate Impact by Lize Raes will explore AI tools like Cursor, Devin, and GitHub Workspace to help developers accelerate workflows and embrace AI-driven coding practices. Data and AI: Powering Spring AI with RAG and NoSQL by Theo van Kraay will demo how integrating Cosmos DB as vector store with Spring AI enables scalable, intelligent and high performing apps. Spring Security: Passkeys, One-Time Tokens: Passwordless Spring Security by Daniel Garnier-Moiroux dives into latest passwordless authentication methods in Spring Security with real-world implementation demos. Virtual Threads: Virtual Threads in Action with Jakarta EE Core Profile by Daniel Kec explores Helidon 4, the first Jakarta EE Core Profile runtime built on a pure Virtual Thread-based web server. Web apps: Simplifying Web App Development with HTMX and Hypermedia by Frederik Hahne shows how HTMX and modern template engines simplify Java web development by reducing reliance on complex single-page apps. Register and attend to earn rewards 🚀 Join the JDConf Experience and Earn Microsoft Rewards! 🚀 The first 300 attendees to check-in live for one of the JDConf - America, Europe or Asia - will receive 5,000 Microsoft Rewards points. How to Participate: Attendance Rewards: For your check-in to be counted you will need to do one of the following on the day of the event: Go to the JDConf Event details page on the Reactor website, Sign in with your Microsoft account (top right corner) and then check-in on the right-hand side, or Click the Join live stream link in the confirmation or reminder e-mail you receive to the Microsoft account e-mail address you registered with, or Click the link in the calendar reminder email, you will see the option to add the event to your calendar in your Microsoft account confirmation email. Points Distribution: Microsoft Rewards points will be added to the participants' Microsoft accounts within 60 days following the event. To earn points, you must use an email that is associated with a Microsoft account. You will receive an e-mail from the Microsoft Reactor team if you are eligible and earn the Microsoft Rewards. Points can be used towards many different rewards, check out Microsoft rewards to see what rewards are available in your region. Terms | Privacy RSVP now - engage, learn, and code the future with AI! Do not miss out – RSVP now and be part of the future of Java at JDConf 2025! We are calling all Java enthusiasts and developers around the globe to join us for a two-day event on April 9 and 10. This is more than just a conference. It is a chance to engage with the community, learn from the experts, and help drive Java technology forward. Get ready to dive into deep Java insights, connect with fellow developers, and discover the latest innovations that are shaping the world of Java. Let us gather to celebrate our passion for Java, share knowledge, and explore new possibilities together. Make sure you are there to push the boundaries of what Java can do. RSVP now at JDConf.com and let's make JDConf 2025 a milestone event for Java and its community. See you there! ⭐ RSVP now at JDConf.com 🌟Meet First Round of Speakers for Microsoft JDConf 2025: Code the future with Java and AI
We are excited to share the initial lineup of speakers and sessions for Microsoft JDConf 2025, taking place on April 9-10. Whether you are an experienced developer or just starting out, JDConf offers valuable opportunities to explore the latest advancements in Java, Cloud and AI technologies, gain practical insights, and connect with Java experts from across the globe. Secure your spot now at jdconf.com. Here are the initial sessions and speakers who will provide valuable insights into Java, Cloud, and AI. Java 25. Explore The Hidden Gems of Java 25 with Mohamed Taman as he uncovers key Java SE features, updates, and fixes that will simplify migration to new Java and enhance your daily development workflow. Virtual Threads. Virtual Threads in Action with Jakarta EE Core Profile by Daniel Kec will explore Helidon 4, the first Jakarta EE Core Profile runtime built on a pure Virtual Thread-based web server. Spring Boot. Bootiful Spring Boot: A DOGumentary by Josh Long will dive into Spring Boot 3.x and Java 21, exploring AI, modularity, and powerful optimizations like virtual threads, GraalVM, and AppCDS. Jakarta EE 12. What Comes After Jakarta EE 11? Reza Rahman and Emily Jiang will share roadmap, contribution pathways, and key updates, including Security, Concurrency, Messaging, and new APIs. GitHub Copilot. Use GitHub Copilot in your favorite Java IDEs by Julia Kordick and Brian Benz will show how to maximize productivity with GitHub Copilot’s latest features in IntelliJ, VS Code, and Eclipse. AI Dev Experience. Boosting AI Developer Experience with Quarkus, LangChain4j, and Azure OpenAI by Daniel Oh will demonstrate how this trio streamlines development and powers intelligent applications. Spring AI. How to Build Agents with Spring AI by Adib Saikali will showcase building intelligent AI agents, covering key patterns like self-editing memory, task orchestration, & collaborative multi-agent systems. LangChain4j. AI-Powered Development: Hands-On Techniques for Immediate Impact by Lize Raes will explore AI tools like Cursor, Devin, and GitHub Workspace to help developers accelerate workflows and embrace AI-driven coding practices. Data and AI. Powering Spring AI with RAG and NoSQL by Theo van Kraay will demo how integrating Cosmos DB as vector store with Spring AI enables scalable, intelligent and high performing applications. Automated Refactoring. The State of AI in Large Scale Automated Refactoring by Jonathan Schneider will show how OpenRewrite’s Lossless Semantic Tree enhances AI-driven refactoring for accurate decision-making. Java Modernization. Cloud Migration of Java Applications Using Various Tools and Technique by Yoshio Terada will demo modernizing legacy apps with tools like VS Code, GitHub Copilot, and Azure Migrate. AI-Driven Testing. Test Smarter, Not Harder: AI-Driven Test Development by Loiane Groner will demo how AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot enhance TDD through automated test generation and improved test coverage, even for legacy code. RSVP Now Join us at Microsoft JDConf 2025 and code the future with Java, Cloud and AI. RSVP today at jdconf.com to secure your spot. Your registration grants access to live streams, on-demand sessions, and a collection of valuable resources. Stay tuned for updates on more engaging sessions and inspiring speakers. Connect with a community shaping tomorrow’s technology and gain practical insights from industry leaders. Follow the conversation using #JDConf, and visit jdconf.com for the latest agenda and schedule. Secure your spot now at jdconf.com!
Seamlessly Integrating Azure KeyVault with Jarsigner for Enhanced Security
Dive into the world of enhanced security with our step-by-step guide on integrating Azure KeyVault with Jarsigner. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, this guide will walk you through the process of securely signing your Java applications using Azure's robust security features. Learn how to set up, execute, and verify digital signatures with ease, ensuring your applications are protected in an increasingly digital world. Join us to boost your security setup now!
