No Longer An Experiment, AI Needs A Solid Java Foundation To Meet Real-World Needs

Even with its tremendous potential, the AI boom today has thrown up several challenges, from the need for data sovereignty to the tremendous amounts of resources needed to run the most powerful data centres.

These are opportunities for Australia and New Zealand, as the buildout of AI and cloud infrastructure goes beyond simply scaling up hardware to creating a trusted ecosystem and developing a solid software foundation for success.

With available renewable energy and trusted legal frameworks, the two countries could potentially take on some of the workloads from Asia. The growing AI efforts here could also benefit from a rising tide across the larger region.

However, the focus cannot just be about hardware. Just as important is the software used to power the infrastructure and the apps of the future. This is where Java has become an important piece of the puzzle.

Already, Java is everywhere in the digital economy, from smartphones to eCommerce. Now, this programming language made originally for the Web is gaining traction in the development of AI functionality, according to Azul’s 2026 State of Java Survey & Report.

Across the world, 62 per cent of organisations use Java to code AI functionality, up from 50 per cent last year. Though Australia and New Zealand are slightly behind at 54 per cent this year, Java is still the most popular programming language for coding AI functionality.

This pivot towards Java reflects an important shift in AI development, as organisations look to integrate machine learning models with existing Java applications. As they move from experimentation to production in 2026, Java will be indispensable for scaling AI workloads.

Picking the right Java

Not just any Java, to be precise. To get the maximum out of their AI efforts and their cloud infrastructure, organisations should carefully consider the right options in the market.

For many in Australia and New Zealand, there are two important considerations here – getting the right price to run Java for AI and finding a more optimal Java platform to operate one’s cloud infrastructure.

First, price. In the past year, Oracle’s Java pricing model introduced in 2023 has made organisations more unhappy and more determined to move away from that version of Java.

In the Azul study, an overwhelming 92 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about Oracle Java pricing. Only 7 per cent said they were unconcerned at all, nearly half the level last year. In Australia and New Zealand, the number is largely similar at 9 per cent.

As a result, many organisations have gone for more affordable alternatives, such as Azul’s Platform Core which offers cost savings up to 70 per cent.

For those worried about migrating away from Oracle Java, the good news is that most organisations move on without snags. In Australia and New Zealand, 23 per cent of organisations migrated away more easily than expected, while 49 per cent said things went as planned.

Besides price, a second factor for moving away from Oracle Java is the need to optimise one’s cloud infrastructure.

This is like tuning a car engine – by using a Java platform that runs your servers more efficiently, you don’t have to spend so much on compute and other cloud resources.

In some instances, organisations running Azul’s Platform Prime, the company’s high-performance Java platform, cut cloud costs by more than 20 per cent. And they also get better application performance, responsiveness and efficiency with this enhanced OpenJDK build.

Unsurprisingly, many organisations in Australia and New Zealand are already taking advantage of such Oracle Java alternatives to move forward.

The Azul study found that almost all (97 per cent) organisations in the two countries have taken action to reduce public cloud costs. More than a third of these organisations (38 per cent) used a high-performance Java platform to do so, making it one of the top strategies.

Strong Java foundation for the future

The growing importance of Java in both AI and cloud infrastructure means that organisations must not just focus on hardware but also build a firm software foundation to power their digital ambitions.

A straight Java replacement for Oracle’s version at a lower price will enable organisations in Australia and New Zealand to allocate more budget on scaling up their AI efforts, as Java becomes an important part of AI development.

Separately, for those that wish to run their apps more efficiently on the cloud, more advanced OpenJDK builds will deliver the savings on cloud costs and clear improvements on user experience that they desire.

In each use case, making Java a key focus for their digital efforts is a crucial step forward. A solid Java platform will provide the base for the AI and cloud building blocks they will be stacking up in the years ahead.

Dean Vaughan, Vice President for Asia Pacific, Azul

Last Updated on February 22, 2026 by Dean Vaughan