by Simon Ritter
opinionJun 11, 20265 mins
Between 2029 and 2032, every currently supported long-term support (LTS) version of Java will reach end-of-support within a single three-year window: Java 17 in 2029, Java 8 in 2030, Java 21 in 2031, and Java 11 in 2032.
On paper, this looks like a manageable upgrade cycle. In practice, it creates a collision of timelines that most enterprises have failed to forecast. Organizations attempting to modernize incrementally—moving application by application, version by version—are operating on a model that the calendar has already rendered obsolete.
The primary danger here is the illusion of time. Traditional modernization plans rely on sequential upgrades and controlled pacing. However, when every major Java version expires in the same compressed window, sequential planning collapses. By the time this becomes obvious, organizations will be forced into reactive mode, making rushed decisions under extreme pressure.
