If you use Oracle Java commercially, you have probably felt the tension since Oracle changed its Java licensing in January 2023. Many organizations are still struggling with whether they should stay and pay for Oracle Java SE or switch to an alternative Java provider and save. The trouble is, as much as traditional ITAM/SAM specialists help with license exposure, they rarely help with recommendations that actually lead organizations to reduced cost and risk with improved long-term return on investment. Until now Azul’s new ITAM guide to Oracle Java.
We’ve spent the last two years working with our core ITAM/SAM partners and our own experts to understand these challenges and to create a playbook for managing Oracle Java licensing challenges.
Manage your Java license risk with ITAM professionals
If you’re a SCUBA diver, you’ve heard the phrase “Plan a dive, dive a plan.” The new Azul ITAM Java Licensing Playbook gives you all the information you need to manage your Java license risk with ITAM professionals. From understanding how to validate and prioritize key Java applications to identifying the risks and limitations of moving to free OpenJDK solutions, the guide presents a workable plan to help you deal with your organization’s Java challenges.
Think of the guide as a blueprint, with six factors in assessing your Java risk to turn the plan into action.
- Confirm your organization’s size: The employee-based licensing metric fundamentally means that the more headcount you have, the larger your financial exposure to Oracle Java.
- Identify the amount of Oracle Java in your software estate: You need a license to comply, regardless of usage. The guide explains why.
- Collect the right type of Java license data: Establishing accurate Java licensing risk requires an in-depth and up-to-date Java estate inventory. The guide lists information you should consider.
- Document critical applications with compliance or risk requirements: Consider license, security, and support compliance for applications that use sensitive information. The guide indexes many global regulations.
- Identify Independent Software Vendor (ISV) applications that Oracle says only they support: Sometimes ISVs are confused about whether their applications support OpenJDK, so they list only Oracle Java. The guide helps uncover the truth.
- Ensure your resources are skilled and available to manage a migration: Asset and license managers should work with Java migration experts to build a migration plan and a framework for communicating to main stakeholders.
Accelerate your ability to “learn to dive” (metaphorically speaking) to reach the depths of your Java licensing challenges safely and quickly.
Select the best alternative to Oracle Java SE
By choosing Azul, you’ll gain access to the world’s best supported and TCK-certified OpenJDK builds, including options that provide price-reduced alternatives to Oracle Java SE, as well as specific-purpose built versions of Java that optimize Java application performance and compute costs in the cloud. Azul also supports more Java versions, regardless of platform or age, than any other vendor, including Oracle.
Our blog series over the coming weeks will help you get the most from the guide. Share with your colleagues, your partner ecosystems, and your customers to get everyone aligned to a blueprint for success.
