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Java still runs the enterprise (and your career) — even with AI

· java

🔸 TL;DR 🚀

Java powers the world’s biggest systems.

~$18T of revenue runs on Java-backed apps.

It’s also a top platform to ship enterprise AI.

🔸 Big picture 🌍

- 90%+ of Fortune 500 use Java for core apps.

- Azul “State of Java 2025”: 99% of 300 IT leaders use Java; ~70% say half+ their apps are Java/JVM.

- Fortune 500 revenue ≈ $19.9T → Java touches ~$18T systems.

- Translation: Java = stability, budget, long-term investment.

🔸 Proof in production 🏭

- Amazon: retail + AWS microservices with Java/Spring Boot.

- Netflix: Java/Spring at massive scale (billions of requests/day).

- LinkedIn: calls Java its backend “backbone.”

- Global banks (Goldman, Citi, BNY, Barclays): trading, risk, core banking.

🔸 Java in the cloud ☁️

- Companies spend 65%+ of cloud costs on Java apps.

- Not legacy—active investment in new JVM workloads.

🔸 Java × AI (the twist) 🧠

- Among companies adding AI features, ~50% use Java.

- Reason: the “last mile”—security, scale, integration, governance.

- Models are not products. Java turns models into reliable, compliant apps.

🔸 Career upside 💼

- Demand is in large, mission-critical systems.

- Fewer engineers can run them ⇒ talent shortage ⇒ better roles.

- Stack Overflow 2024: median $61.7k (much higher for senior/tech hubs).

- RedMonk: Java stays top-tier among active devs.

🔸 Why enterprises love Java 🧱

- Predictable releases. Strong backward compatibility.

- Mature frameworks: Spring, Jakarta EE.

- Security, scalability, reliability = lower risk & cost.

🔸 Your roadmap 🧭

- Go deep on Java/Spring Boot/Jakarta EE.

- Learn cloud & Kubernetes, observability, JVM perf.

- Add AI integration (e.g., LangChain4j) and data pipelines.

- Build systems that scale, secure, and audit.

🔸Bottom line ✅

- Java isn’t old—it’s the engine of enterprise value and the delivery layer for AI.

- Betting on Java is betting on what lasts.

#Java #JVM #SpringBoot #JakartaEE #Cloud #Kubernetes #AI #MLOps #Microservices #Backend #EnterpriseSoftware #Careers #DevOps #Observability