For years, Java has been the backbone of enterprise applications. It’s reliable, portable, and widely supported. However, as organizations continue to grow and evolve, many are finding that legacy Java environments, especially older versions running on outdated infrastructure, are quietly draining budgets, limiting agility, and increasing operational risk. As per studies, around 70% of corporate business systems are still considered legacy, with over 60% of IT budgets devoted to simply maintaining them.

With AWS and its modernization services, businesses now have a clear path forward. And there’s no better time to act.

The Real Price of Staying on Legacy Java

At a glance, keeping your legacy Java applications running might seem like the “safe” choice. After all, the system still works. However, under the surface, the cost of doing nothing is climbing.

Here’s why:

1. Outdated Versions = Higher Security Risks

Many legacy Java applications run on older versions of Java SE (such as Java 6, 7, or 8). These versions often lack the security patches and performance improvements introduced in newer releases. Without ongoing updates, they:

• Become vulnerable to known exploits.
• Fail security compliance audits.
• Require costly workarounds to stay operational.

If you’re still paying for extended support from vendors such as Oracle, you’re likely spending significant money just to keep your apps from breaking without gaining new capabilities.

2. Licensing and Support Costs Are Rising

Java licensing has changed significantly over the past few years. What used to be “free” for many organizations is now a major line item in IT budgets, especially for commercial distributions such as Oracle JDK.

Ongoing costs include:

• Commercial support contracts.
• Licensing for multiple Java versions across teams and systems.
• Internal tracking and compliance monitoring.

Staying compliant while managing these costs adds unrequired complexity.

3. Legacy Frameworks Slow Down Innovation

Many older Java applications are built using frameworks or libraries that are no longer supported, such as Struts 1, JSF, or even custom-built internal frameworks. 

As a result:

• Developers spend more time debugging or integrating than innovating.
• Cloud migration becomes challenging due to tight coupling with legacy environments.
• Performance lags, especially under newer traffic loads.

This creates a cycle where IT becomes reactive, rather than strategic.

Why AWS Is the Right Place to Modernize Java Workloads

AWS offers a wide range of tools, services, and partner solutions that make it easier to modernize Java applications. Organizations that have moved on-premises workloads to AWS have reported up to a 66% reduction in compute costs, 69% lower storage costs, and 66% lower networking expenses over a three-year period. 

Whether you’re rehosting, replatforming, or refactoring, AWS provides the infrastructure and AI-powered tools to help at every step of the way.

Here’s how modernizing Java on AWS pays off quickly:

1. Cost Savings with OpenJDK Options

AWS supports multiple OpenJDK-based distributions, such as Amazon Corretto, a no-cost, production-ready distribution backed by long-term support. This allows businesses to:

• Avoid vendor lock-in and high license fees.
• Gain performance improvements and timely security patches.
• Simplify Java version upgrades across the enterprise.

Corretto is optimized for AWS, making it an easy drop-in replacement that reduces both cost and complexity.

2. Smarter Refactoring with AI-Powered Tools

AWS Partners now leverage agentic AI tools to automate parts of the modernization process. These tools can:

• Analyze your Java codebase and identify deprecated APIs.
• Recommend or generate replacement code for cloud-native services (e.g., replacing file storage with Amazon S3 or local queues with Amazon SQS).
• Suggest appropriate containerization or serverless deployment strategies.

This means faster and safer modernization without rewriting entire applications from scratch.

3. Flexible Runtime Options

Modern Java apps don’t need to run on heavyweight servers anymore. On AWS, you can deploy your Java apps to:

• Amazon ECS or EKS (containers)
• AWS Lambda (serverless functions)
• Amazon Corretto on EC2 or Elastic Beanstalk (fully managed environments)

These options give you cost flexibility, better scalability, and reduced operational burden, especially when compared to maintaining on-premises Java servers.

Beyond Cost: Unlocking Developer Velocity

Modernizing isn’t just about cutting costs. It’s also about enabling your teams to move faster and innovate more. Here’s what Java teams gain from modernizing on AWS:

• CI/CD Integration

With AWS services such as CodePipeline and CodeBuild, modern Java apps can be integrated into robust CI/CD workflows that support automated testing, deployment, and rollback.

• Observability Built-In

Legacy Java apps are often black boxes. With AWS tools such as CloudWatch, X-Ray, and AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry, teams can track performance, latency, and errors in real-time.

• Faster Feature Delivery

Once your app is containerized or serverless, rolling out new features is easier, safer, and faster. No more complex release weekends or downtime windows.

The Hidden Costs of Waiting

Delaying modernization might seem safe, but it carries long-term consequences:

• Talent Drain: Fewer developers want to work on outdated tech. Retaining and hiring skilled engineers becomes harder.

• Vendor Dependence: Older Java versions can lock you into specific support providers or hardware setups.

• Slower Response Times: Legacy apps often lack the agility to adapt quickly when business needs change.

Each month spent maintaining legacy Java increases both visible and hidden costs.

Getting Started: Your Path to Modern Java on AWS

Modernization doesn’t need to be “all or nothing.” AWS offers a phased approach that meets businesses where they are:

Step 1: Assess Your Java Portfolio

Use tools such as AWS Migration Hub Strategy Recommendations or work with an AWS Partner to scan your workloads and identify modernization opportunities.

Step 2: Choose the Right Strategy

Some applications may benefit from rehosting (lift-and-shift), others from replatforming (moving to containers), and a few from full refactoring (breaking into microservices).

Step 3: Adopt Cloud-Native Runtimes

Migrate your apps to managed platforms or containerized environments. Replace costly or unsupported Java libraries with modern, open-source alternatives.

Step 4: Automate and Optimize

Use agentic AI tools, observability solutions, and CI/CD pipelines to continuously improve your modernized workloads over time.

Legacy Java Is Holding You Back

Java remains a strong language for enterprise applications, but legacy versions come with real costs. AWS offers a proven path to modernizing these workloads, with flexible runtime options, cost-effective tools, and partner support to guide your journey.

With the availability of Amazon Corretto, cloud-native architecture patterns, and automation through agentic AI, there’s never been a better time to act.

Don’t let outdated Java hold your business back. 

Modernize on AWS and build for the future!