Every software evolves, until it reaches its natural end of life, even the strongest one. This is valid for application runtimes too. They have lifecycles, and when they reach certain milestones, they can affect how the applications they support operate. Yet, many organizations continue to run their mission-critical enterprise Java applications on aging platforms.

One prominent example is the case of Java EE 8-compatible application servers, most of which are now receiving limited support, such as JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) 7 that recently moved out of Full Support.  

How can organizations identify if an ageing runtime is impacting their applications and operations? Let's dig in.

Welcome aboard the August 2025 issue of The Payara Monthly Catch! With summer in full swing, things may have felt a little more quiet across the Java world - but certainly not less interesting! We hope you managed to get some rest and recharge, because the pace is about to pick up again. Conference season is around the corner, new releases are rolling out, and we’ve gathered all the updates, guides, and community news you’ll want on your radar.

As a Java developer, you may not control runtime support contracts, but what you can do is help your team stay ahead of platform shifts that impact stability, compliance and portability. And here’s a big one:

📢 Red Hat officially announced that JBoss EAP 7 reached the end of Maintenance Support and entered Extended Life Support Phase 1 (ELS-1) on June 30, 2025.

This marks the beginning of a gradual end-of-support timeline that affects all Java EE 8 applications running on JBoss EAP 7.x. The change was confirmed by Red Hat as part of its product lifecycle updates, and it’s a clear sign that organizations need to plan for what's next. If your manager asks you for an overview on what's happening and the options at hands, this blog post is for you: we summarized everything you need to know and what you can do for your Java EE 8 applications.

Deadline Approaching: Keep Your Legacy Java Applications Secure with Payara Platform 4

As companies look to modernize their IT infrastructure to leverage the latest technologies and advance the capabilities of their applications, modernizing legacy systems becomes a top priority. However, for organizations still running Java EE 7 or 8 applications, the challenge lies in finding a fully commercially supported application server that can handle their current applications and environment while allowing a strategic and gradual transition.

If your organization is in this position, you have an important deadline approaching: March 31, 2025.

As organizations modernize their tech stacks, many are re-evaluating their application server choices to ensure they can address their evolving business and technology needs. Recent announcements from IBM regarding the direction of WebSphere have prompted a number of companies to reassess their long-term plans.

While WebSphere remains a reliable solution, these recent updates hint at shifts in focus that may present challenges for businesses and their existing applications. For those navigating these changes, understanding alternative paths and modern platforms has never been more crucial. Let's have a look at key WebSphere alternatives.

January is almost over, and we kicked off the year with a lot of energy and fresh resources! 🎉 We’ve got some great updates and insights to share...so grab a coffee and dive into our top content from January - start reading to enhance your enterprise Java knowledge and skills!