Last month, I wrote about our efforts to make the transition to Java SE 8 smooth for end users. The incredible pace of adoption of Java SE 8 by the Java community surpassed our expectations, with open source projects and commercial products like Oracle WebLogic Server alike announcing their readiness for the new platform release.
With the release of Java SE 8 Update 25, the Java SE 8 runtime is now available on java.com as the default JRE for end-users. The process of migrating users from Java 7 to Java 8 through the auto update feature is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2015.
As outlined in the Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap, after April 2015, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java SE 7 to its public download sites. While existing Java SE 7 downloads will remain accessible on Oracle Technology Network, developers and end-users are now encouraged to begin the transition to Java SE 8.
Customers who need continued access to critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for Java SE 7 or older versions can get long term support through Oracle Java SE Support.
