Azul, a company solely dedicated to Java, is experiencing significant growth across the Asia Pacific (Apac) region. The rise in demand for Azul’s OpenJDK solutions comes as companies seek alternatives following Oracle’s changes to its Java SE pricing and increasing cloud infrastructure expenses.
Azul’s fiscal year 2024 saw a 37% increase in new bookings compared to the previous year, with a 437% surge in growth at the start of FY25. The banking and finance sector in Asia played a significant role in this success, with a 31% rise in new bookings year-over-year in FY24.
“The Asia Pacific region has long been a strategic focus for Azul, offering immense growth potential and this past year has been no different,” said Dean Vaughan, VP of Apac at Azul.
He emphasized that the growing frustration over Oracle’s Java pricing and aggressive sales tactics has driven many customers to Azul’s solutions. This shift has contributed to Azul’s remarkable success in the region, as evidenced by the highest volume of channel partner opportunities ever recorded by the company.
Expanding partner network
According to Azul, many Apac businesses are facing new financial pressures due to Oracle’s revised Java SE pricing policy, introduced last year, and the escalating costs associated with cloud infrastructure. Azul’s OpenJDK solutions, such as the Azul Platform Core, provide a cost-effective and secure replacement for Oracle Java, typically reducing support fees by over 70%.
The Azul Platform Prime offers businesses the potential to reduce cloud and infrastructure costs by over 20%, along with substantial performance enhancements for critical Java applications.
The company’s channel partner growth in Apac has been particularly strong, with the percentage of new bookings through partners nearly doubling from 38% in FY23 to 72% in FY24. Azul expanded its partner network in FY24, adding 46 new partners, including distributors in emerging markets and systems integrators specializing in Java migration and cloud optimization.
“Azul’s momentum in the APAC region underscores the profound impact of our strategic channel partnerships,” said Simon Taylor, VP of Global Channel Sales at Azul.