Thirty years ago, Java introduced the world to "write once, run anywhere." What began as a bold promise of portability and simplicity soon transformed into a defining force in modern software.
Today, Java is not just a programming language. It is the backbone of countless applications, systems, and ecosystems, including the largest repository of open source Java packages, which I've been deeply involved with: The Central Repository (aka Maven Central or Central).
My journey with Java
Since its official release on May 23, 1995, Java has outlasted trends, rival languages, and shifting paradigms. From applets and servlets to microservices and cloud-native architectures, Java has evolved while remaining familiar. It paved the way for open source to enter the enterprise. And, arguably, the enterprise never looked back.
My connection to Java goes back further than I sometimes realize. I remember working early Sunday mornings in high school assembling newspapers when a front-page article about a new programming language called Java caught my eye. I set one aside and read it on my break, mostly out of curiosity. I didn't know it at the time, but that small moment would foreshadow a much larger part of my career.
Later, during my first semester of college, I audited a Java 1.0 night class. They let me take it for free as the school's webmaster (talk about a dated term). The class was filled with seasoned, senior engineers, many from defense contractors, there to learn this new high-level language. I was just a curious student, unsure of how it would connect to my goal of becoming a hardcore C/C++ developer. At the time, I didn't know what I didn't know.
Fast forward a few years, and I was that C++ developer, working at Lucent, where we had exactly one Java programmer on the team. I used to tease him, "You need eight full bits to represent true or false? I can do that with one bit in C!"
I didn't think much of Java then. It wasn't until several years later that I shifted from C++ over to Java as I took a new job working in public health.
From dependency hell to software supply chain stewardship
Apache Maven and Central were originally about solving dependency hell... We needed a better way to share and consume Java libraries. We had no idea we were building a cornerstone of the global software supply chain... we were just trying to make builds more reliable. But over time, Central became one of the most trusted repositories in the world. Java developers depend on it at scale every day.
That experience taught me something important: when developers trust a system implicitly, especially at scale, it's no longer just infrastructure. It's critical infrastructure. And with that comes the responsibility to secure it, maintain it, and ensure transparency at every level.
While other ecosystems have struggled with malicious package proliferation, Central has remained a secure, trusted repository. That's not by accident. It's the result of decades of proactive stewardship and well-defined standards — a testament to how intentional governance combined with community proactivity can secure the software supply chain.
The numbers tell the story
Java's momentum has not slowed. According to Sonatype's most recent State of the Software Supply Chain report, Maven Central served an estimated 1.5 trillion Java component requests last year — a 36% increase year over year. That means that, in 2024, developers went to download a Java component more than 47,000 times every second.
That's not the sign of a dying language. It is the sign of a language that continues to scale.
Each Java project in Maven Central also averages 28 versions, more than any other open source ecosystem we track. That depth of versioning signals a mature, actively maintained ecosystem — one where maintainers prioritize continuous improvement, backward compatibility, and long-term support.
Java and the open source explosion
Before Java and Maven, contributing to open source often meant downloading source files and wrestling with cryptic build systems — often more effort than writing the code from scratch. Maven's introduction made it possible, for the first time, to reliably build and reuse open source Java projects at scale. That accessibility changed the game for developers and was a key catalyst for open source growth in the enterprise.
Java did not just grow alongside open source — it, along with the ease of reproducing someone else's build with Apache Maven, helped fuel its rise. While the Apache HTTP Server (written in C) laid the groundwork for the Apache Software Foundation, today, over half of the projects are Java-based.
Image credit: https://projects.apache.org/
In the early days, Java and open source fed off each other. Now, they are inseparable. Java's enterprise-readiness, combined with open source's flexibility, helped unlock a new era of innovation — and it's still going strong.
With growth comes responsibility. As developers, teams, and entire industries rely on Java and its surrounding ecosystem, trust becomes just as important as technical merit. That's especially true in the era of software supply chain attacks.
While Java's consistency has helped build trust, continued vigilance is required to preserve it, especially as the threat landscape evolves.
Responsible stewardship for the decades ahead
As Java enters its fourth decade, the challenge is not reinvention. It's responsible stewardship.
Open source ecosystems do not survive on technical merit alone. They thrive when there's trust, community, and accountability. Java has shown what is possible when those things align.
But we can't take that trust for granted.
Today, nearly all open source risk is preventable. Only 0.5% of components have no safe upgrade path. That means 99.5% of vulnerabilities can be avoided with the right actions, especially when developers are equipped with accurate data and automated tools.
The State of the Software Supply Chain report makes one thing clear: proactive dependency management is more critical than ever.
As stewards of the Java ecosystem, whether you are a language maintainer, repository operator, or developer, it's on all of us to think beyond code. We must think in terms of accountability, visibility, and resilience. Java taught a generation how to build — now it can help teach us how to secure.
Secure what we've built
Java at 30 is a story about more than code. It's a story about trust — trust earned through decades of reliability, stewardship, and shared standards.
The standards Java and Maven introduced — from portable reusable components to dependency metadata in repositories — have become foundational concepts adopted by virtually every modern programming ecosystem. Languages like JavaScript, Python, and .NET owe much of their package management models to the patterns Java established decades ago.
Now Java sits at the heart of critical infrastructure. That comes with a responsibility we cannot ignore.
The good news is that most open source risk is preventable. Today, 99.5% of known vulnerabilities have a safer version available. But knowing that is not enough. Acting on it is what counts.
If you write libraries, consume components, run a repository, or contribute to Java standards, you are part of the supply chain. And that makes you part of the defense.
So here's the call to action:
Don't just build. Maintain what you build.
Don't just use open source. Update it.
Don't just trust Java. Help keep it trustworthy.
The next decade of Java depends on what we do today.
Let's get it right.
.jpg?width=150&height=150&name=fox-2016-1-sq%20(1).jpg)
Try Nexus Repository Free Today
Sonatype Nexus Repository is the world’s most trusted artifact repository manager. Experience the difference and download Community Edition for free.
