Java - 30 years old

Java, released in 1995, is still a leading programming language used in industries such as web- and cloud-based application development, game and app development (specifically for Android) and big data software. Despite its 30 years of existence, Java has successfully maintained its popularity despite a number of competitors such as Python, C++ and Kotlin. Its birthday will be celebrated from the 18th to the 20th of March. Despite this, there has been some controversy surrounding the software's pricing.

Oracle price increase

Oracle, who bought Java in January 2010, have decided to change how they price their Java product, Oracle JDK(Java Development Kit). Instead of companies paying for each user of Oracle JDK, they will now have to pay based on the number of employees they have, even if those employees do not use the service themselves.

What effect will this have?

This will mean a huge number of businesses will shift to the primary open-source JDK, OpenJDK, in a bid to handle the huge cost increase they suddenly face. The inclusion by Oracle of all staff means that the applicable companies now have to count all members of staff, including those who will never come close to using a JDK, such as contractors, part-time, and even temporary members of staff. As this new pricing scheme is very much a 'tell us what you should pay' system, Oracle have said that they will inspect businesses on a more regular basis to ensure that they are paying the correct amount, with incorrectly reported due payments resulting in an unexpected price increase. 

Conclusion

I have enjoyed learning about the complexities of the new pricing system from Oracle, reading an article from ComputerWeekly.com: As Java turns 30, developers switch to OpenJDK | Computer Weekly, as well as CioDive.com: After 30 years of code, Java remains an enterprise cornerstone | CIO Dive. These articles, as well as some other sources such as the Oracle website itself, has helped me to understand the pricing changes, and why it is a problem for many companies, forcing them to transition to the free, open-source version.