Are you up to speed with the recent changes to Java licensing and the impact these may have on your business?
News|25 March 2019
The release of Java 11 last September marked the end of free public updates for Java without a subscription. Java 8 is the most common installed release as both 9 and 10 were interim releases only. Java 8 received its last public update in January. A Java licence and subscription is now required to keep the software patched and secure.
Older versions such as Java 6 and 7 are non-compliant if they’ve been patched without a license. The last public update for Java 7 (update 80) was April 2017. There have been numerous security fixes since, some serious. Java 6 without a license won’t have been patched legally since update 45 in 2013!
Unpatched Java isn’t an option for most businesses as vulnerable software raises security concerns and is at odds with regulations such as GDPR. The cost of falling foul of GDPR or being caught out during a licence audit could destroy a business. It isn’t worth the risk. Per machine, a Java subscription costs no more than most anti-virus software. It’s a small price to pay for security and keeping up to date. There are other benefits too in terms of additional features such as tools to help manage your Java deployments.
You can keep up to date if you’re prepared to use the free community edition (Open JDK) and migrate every 6 months to keep in step with Oracle’s more frequent release cadence. That might be possible for some users but will be impractical in most cases due to the constant need to code, test and migrate every 6 months. Open JDK and other third party alternatives will also diverge over time from the Oracle commercial release.
To determine your most economic subscription model, you will need to consider how Java is being used by your internal systems and third-party applications, both on the desktop and server-side. There might be opportunities to optimise hardware and virtualisation for consolidation purposes.
Please call us on 01364 654100 for assistance in determining requirements and setting up your Java subscriptions.
Contact Grey Matter
If you have any questions or want some extra information, complete the form below and one of the team will be in touch ASAP. If you have a specific use case, please let us know and we'll help you find the right solution faster.
By submitting this form you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Website Terms of Use.
Related News
Secure Impact Launches New Cyber Security Services
Cyber security consultancy, Secure Impact, has announced two new services to support clients looking to improve their security. Microsoft 365 Security Assessment The Microsoft 365 Security Assessment by SI targets the unique needs of cloud environments, highlighting the shared responsibility...
KnowBe4 Acquires Egress To Enhance Their Cyber Security Platform
Our partner, KnowBe4 has announced its acquisition of Egress, a cloud email security company. About KnowBe4 and Egress KnowBe4 is a leader in security awareness training, which helps organisations train their employees to identify and avoid cyber threats. Egress offers...
Microsoft Build – Online Session
21 - 23 May 2024
We’re excited to be a part of this year’s event with an online Partner Showcase. Visit our page and explore our favourite free resources
Surveil dashboard updates – April 2024
There have been several changes to the Surveil platform over the last three weeks that we are excited to share with you. These changes have been designed to improve your overall experience with the platform, as well as add improved...