Finding an Alternative to Intel Granulate

You may be looking for an alternative to Intel Granulate to reduce your cloud costs. If your applications run on Java, Azul Platform Prime is an ideal solution that can help reduce cloud and infrastructure costs while improving application performance and reliability.

In November Intel announced that it is closing Granulate, the Israeli startup it acquired in 2022, laying off its entire workforce of over 100 employees amid sweeping global cutbacks. 

Granulate developed real-time, continuous optimization software to help companies maximize compute workload performance to reduce infrastructure and cloud costs. 

What choices are available for Java users?   

While this announcement is disrupting many organizations’ cloud cost optimization plans, it’s providing an interesting revelation. As companies re-evaluate their approach to cloud spending, they’re discovering an often-overlooked alternative for compute savings, especially for cloud-native Java applications.

Java organizations have traditionally focused on two main areas for cost reduction: infrastructure optimization (tweaking instance types, sizing, and reservation plans) and application architecture (refactoring code for cloud efficiency).  

But there’s a powerful third lever for reducing cloud costs: the Java runtime itself. This is the foundation that actually executes your programs, and its efficiency has a multiplier effect on everything above it. When your applications run faster and more efficiently at this fundamental level, the benefits cascade throughout your infrastructure – you can scale more dynamically, respond to demand spikes more efficiently, and ultimately run your workloads on fewer instances.

This is where Azul Platform Prime stands out. Unlike bolt-on optimization tools, Prime fundamentally transforms how your Java applications perform through advanced compilation technology that learns and adapts to your specific workload patterns.

While Granulate ran only on Intel, Prime runs on a majority of commonly used hardware, software, and chip architectures – including X86, Arm architectures, and most distributions of Linux. Companies typically see their cloud bills drop by 20%+, while simultaneously improving application performance and reliability.

With Prime there are no code changes or recompilation of your application required. For companies looking to replace Granulate for their Java-based applications and infrastructure, Prime is the best alternative to achieve optimal performance results. 

Platform Prime, Azul’s high-performance Java platform 

Azul Platform Prime is an award-winning high-performance Java platform that includes Azul Zing, an enhanced build of OpenJDK for superior application performance, responsiveness and efficiency. It’s TCK-verified and Java SE compliant and doesn’t require re-architecture: download Azul Platform Prime for free.

Here’s a simple breakdown of Azul Platform Prime’s features and critical capabilities.

Select your Java runtime 

Azul Platform Prime’s Java runtime improves your application performance and reduces cloud waste – and is available through your favorite cloud marketplaces. Additional details: 

• Azul provides Java performance expertise as a member of the  FinOps Foundation – including best practices for reducing cloud waste. 

• Award-winning technology – including 2024 Stevie Award for Cloud Application/Service of the Year and Software Report’s Top 25 Cloud Computing Companies in 2024. 

• Recognized by Iindustry Analysts globally, Azul’s Java solutions are ideal for business-critical Java workloads and distributed data processing systems. 

• Azul’s Java Performance Engineering Lab publishes a free Java performance benchmark report for all Java Long Term Releases – using modern Java workload and chipsets. This is a great resource if you are considering a move to Java 21. 

• Azul Java products are commercially available on AWS Marketplace and Google Cloud Marketplace to help companies leverage committed cloud spend, consolidate software spend, and simplify procurement.

Proven, broad industry presence  

Azul Platform Prime customers help guide our roadmap for Prime, which includes companies in gaming, digital payments, high-performance trading, eCommerce/retail, AdTech, SaaS, and other businesses where customer experiences and site reliability are a priority.

By moving to Azul Platform Prime, you will improve Java application performance and ensure consistent low latency for business-critical applications under SLA.