Software Development & Application Choice

Java has always been one of the most in-demand programming languages, with around 40% of employers looking to hire candidates with these programming skills.

Yet, the years pass, new technologies are born, promising greater ease and velocity in developing complex software products, and Java seems to be losing its leading position more and more.

So does that mean it’s the right time to leave a tested-and-proven option behind and move on to something new?

A Quick History of Java in the Enterprise World

Java was the undisputed enterprise development leader for decades, but in the last 10–15 years, it has all turned around.

Peak Years: Around 2005–2015

From the early 2000s to around 2015, Java was the de facto standard for different enterprise software solutions:

• Corporate applications (ERP, CRM)
• Banking systems
• Government and telecom platforms

During this time, Java frameworks such as Java EE (formerly J2EE), Spring, and EJB were widely used to produce complex systems for controlling enterprise resources or directing customer relationships.

Though the technology stack was heavy, it was most assuredly scalable and reliable and, therefore, ideal for mission-critical applications.

Back then, Java enjoyed a giant market share (used for about 70–80% of all work done in enterprise development). Oracle also heavily promoted Java in large organizations, helping it become the industry norm.

Post-2015: The Beginning of Diversification

But since 2015, everything has changed. New technology hit the market with more possibilities for developers and businesses:

• Node.js (lightweight services)
• .NET Core (cross-platform Microsoft stack)
• Python (rapid development)
• Go (simplicity)
• Kotlin and Scala (on the Java Virtual Machine, but not Java)

In the meantime, enterprise architecture was heading in the direction of microservices and cloud-based solutions with Docker and Kubernetes. Java EE gradually retired and was reborn as Jakarta EE under the Eclipse Foundation. Even so, Spring Boot remained extremely popular and continued to keep Java relevant.

Java in the Enterprise Today (2024–2025)

Today, Java remains one of the leading picks for enterprise development, although it’s no longer the sole dominating choice.

Based on recent figures from Stack Overflow, JetBrains, and IDC sources, Java currently holds about 35–45% of the enterprise development market.

C#/.NET is in the lead with 20–25%, and Python and JavaScript/Node.js are not far behind with around 10–15% each. Go, Kotlin, and Scala have smaller but growing shares.

Overall, Java continues to be influential in sectors where legacy systems remain active, particularly in banking and finance, as well as the public sector.

These systems are typically too complex and expensive to replicate from scratch, so companies often turn to a Java development company to help modernize and extend them instead.

Java’s Share in Enterprise Development

What Drives Language Choice in Enterprise Today?

Choosing a programming language today depends on many criteria. Legacy systems, team experience, development time, and cloud readiness are all considerations.

Of course, for faster development or light applications, companies can use Python or Node.js or even Go for building simple APIs and prototypes. Still, there are many cases where Java remains a great option—for instance, for applications that require stability, long-term support, and scalability.

Benefits of Using Java for Enterprise Software

Despite its seeming decline and growing interest in newer technologies, Java still has a few aces up its sleeve:

Scalability and Flexibility for Large Enterprises

Enterprise systems generally need to support thousands of users and process millions of transactions a day. Java’s architecture, along with its mature frameworks, enables developers to build highly scalable solutions that can grow with business needs.

Whether scaling vertically or horizontally, Java applications can easily integrate with load balancers, distributed databases, and caching mechanisms without sacrificing performance.

Powerful Ecosystem: Tools and Frameworks That Make Development Easier

Among the most emphatic benefits of Java for enterprise development is the huge array of libraries, frameworks, and tools.

Developers can use, for example, Spring, Hibernate, and Apache Camel, for faster development of complex applications; JUnit for testing; or Maven or Gradle for project management.

Security and Unending Support for Important Business Systems

For companies dealing with sensitive data, such as banks or hospitals, security is not a choice. Java, for its part, has native security features that guard data, control memory, and regulate authentication.

In the same vein, Java also provides long-term support (LTS) releases that allow companies to run and support their systems for many years ahead.

Java vs Other Technologies: Why Choose Java for Enterprise Software Development

With so many programming languages out there today, some people wonder what “trump cards” Java can put forward against others for creating enterprise-level applications.

Let’s start with C#. C# is definitely a good language, especially if a company uses a lot of Microsoft tools. But Java has the upper hand when it comes to flexibility.

You can run Java on almost any system without having to make significant amendments. Besides, Java has a huge developer base and an abundance of frameworks to speed up the development process.

The second most recognized opponent is Python (which has one of the largest programming language communities). Python works well for quick development and is normally used in data science and automation.

Nonetheless, it is not always the best means for extensive, branched systems because it becomes slower and harder to keep track of over time.

Java, on the other hand, is faster and more structured, which makes it a better choice for heavy systems (banking or government platforms) that are literally obliged to be stable and unassailable.

What about Node.js? It’s a popular choice for real-time features like chat or live updates. It works well for small services that need to respond quickly. It is, however, not ideal if the system has a lot of users, much data, and security requirements.

Java is less likely to crash. It was meant to deal with heavy workloads and remains the choice for many large companies to run their business systems.

Use Cases for Java in Modern Enterprise Application Development

If generally everything is quite clear about the advantages of Java development services for making enterprise software products, then a reasonable question may arise: how and where can this language find application in various fields?

In banking and finance, for instance, Java is used to develop systems that handle millions of transactions per day. These systems have to be secured to the greatest extent possible and be up at all times, and Java offers software development tools that help secure sensitive data.

Governments and telecommunication companies also utilize Java to handle huge systems catering to millions of individuals. These systems often run for years without much alteration, and Java helps them fulfill the demanded condition.

Also, Java is the best choice for creating SaaS (Software as a Service) products. It allows developers to create cloud-based apps that work well, stay online 24/7, and can easily regulate more users as a company expands.

Lastly, in healthcare, where privacy and safety are no less important, Java is used to produce systems that help manage appointments, test results, and medical records. Java is often chosen here because it supports strong data protection and works well with other systems.

Java for Legacy Systems and Transition to Modern Architectures

When selecting a programming language, legacy systems are almost always part of the discussion. The good news is, with the help of legacy modernization services, Java makes it much easier to keep these systems running while gradually updating them.

Java is one of the few technologies that supports both old and new software. Put simply, businesses can continue using their existing systems while slowly updating parts of them, instead of rebuilding everything from scratch.

Besides, modern Java frameworks such as Spring Boot, Quarkus, and Micronaut allow developers to break large legacy systems into smaller, more adaptable pieces called microservices.

Microservices make it easier to add new features, improve performance, and move parts of the system to the cloud without disrupting the whole application.

Third, Java is also great for cloud-native development, which means building software that’s designed to run in the cloud from the start.

Thanks to Java’s strong support for containers, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, developers can create powerful, scalable systems that are much easier to manage.

Why Partner with SCAND for Java Enterprise Software Development Services?

At SCAND, we’ve been making enterprise-grade Java applications for over 20 years, using the latest frameworks and development tools to deliver high-performance solutions. Our team of full-stack Java developers brings deep expertise across industries, from fintech to healthcare.

Apart from that, we’ve already helped several global enterprises modernize their systems, transition to microservices, and migrate to cloud-native architectures.

Our case studies highlight successful implementations of large-scale banking platforms, government portals, and healthcare solutions built with Java’s powerful ecosystem.

SCAND works closely with enterprises to analyze existing systems, recognize modernization opportunities, and enforce Java-based solutions tailored to any goals.