Published a little later than usual due to a busy conference season, this edition looks back at the key articles, videos and updates from the Java and Jakarta EE ecosystem in January.
January kicked off the year with a strong mix of platform updates, deep technical dives, community reflections and forward looking discussions about where Java and Jakarta EE are heading next. Here’s our curated round up of what’s worth catching up on!
Jakarta EE and Specifications
🛠️Jakarta EE 12 Progress Update
The latest status update on Jakarta EE 12, including ongoing specification work and roadmap progress, read more on https://jakarta.ee/specifications/platform/12/
📑Jakarta Data and NoSQL, Standardized Data Access for Jakarta EE
A Jakarta Tech Talk recording with Werner Keil exploring standardized approaches to NoSQL data access in Jakarta EE. Watch here: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/jan15-26-jakartatechtalk
⚔️REST vs GraphQL, Choosing the Right Strategy for Modern Java Applications
A discussion with Vipin Vellilopullithodi comparing REST and GraphQL in the context of modern Java and Jakarta EE applications. Watch here: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/jan20-26-jakartatechtalk
🤖Bring AI into Your Jakarta EE Apps with LangChain4J CDI
An introduction to integrating AI capabilities into Jakarta EE applications using LangChain4J and CDI by Buhake Sindi. Read more: https://foojay.io/today/bring-ai-into-your-jakarta-ee-apps-with-langchain4j-cdi/
🎯 Java’s Plans for 2026, Inside Java Newscast #104
A forward looking discussion on what’s planned for Java in 2026, straight from the Inside Java team, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lYsDMOc7hM
🗣️Scripting Java, Collections and Generics, Inside Java Podcast #44
A conversation covering Java scripting, collections, and generics, recorded with the BeJUG community, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4f0FHizUCg
🔧OpenJDK January 2026 Critical Patch Update and Patch Set Update Released
Details on the January 2026 OpenJDK CPU and PSU releases and what developers need to know by Frank Delporte, find out more here: https://foojay.io/today/openjdk-january-2026-critical-patch-update-and-patch-set-update-released/
🗑️ The Ultimate 10 Years Java Garbage Collection Guide (2016–2026)
A deep dive into a decade of Java garbage collection, helping teams choose the right GC for different workloads by Alexius Diakogiannis, read here: https://foojay.io/today/the-ultimate-10-years-java-garbage-collection-guide-2016-2026-choosing-the-right-gc-for-every-workload/
⌨️ Command Completion, No More Shortcuts!
A practical video by JetBrains’ Marit van Dijk showing how command completion can streamline Java developer workflows, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waY6HAmyHOw
🤖 How to Choose Your LLM Without Ruining Your Java Code
Guidance on selecting and integrating LLMs in Java projects while avoiding common architectural pitfalls by Jonathan Vila Lopez: https://www.sonarsource.com/blog/how-to-choose-your-llm-without-ruining-your-java-code/
📘Java News Roundup, January 2026
Mike Redlich’s weekly roundups covering the most important Java and Spring ecosystem news throughout January:
📑 JVM Weekly
Another useful weekly summary of Java news and resources, this time from Artur Skowronski, catch up on his January posts here:
⚡Cut Jakarta EE Startup Times from Seconds to Milliseconds with CRaC
A practical look at using CRaC with Jakarta EE to dramatically reduce startup times, particularly relevant for cloud and container based workloads, by Luqman Saeed: https://payara.fish/blog/cut-jakarta-ee-startup-times-with-crac/
🔐 Zero Trust Architecture with Jakarta EE and MicroProfile, Developer Guide
A comprehensive guide exploring how Zero Trust principles can be implemented using Jakarta EE and MicroProfile standards, download from: https://payara.fish/resource/zero-trust-architecture-with-jakarta-ee-and-microprofile-developer-guide/
📤Spring Boot 4 Is Here, And Payara Qube Is Getting Ready for It
An overview of what Spring Boot 4 brings and how Payara Qube is preparing to support the next generation of Spring applications, by Chiara Civardi, read more: http://payara.fish/blog/spring-boot-4-and-payara/
📊State of Contemporary Enterprise Java, Report
Insights from the latest industry report covering adoption trends, challenges, and priorities across modern Enterprise Java teams, download from: https://payara.fish/state-of-contemporary-enterprise-java-report/#state-of-enterprise-java
📦 What’s New in the January 2026 Payara Platform Release?
A summary of new features, fixes, and improvements included in the January 2026 Payara Platform release, read more: https://payara.fish/blog/whats-new-in-the-january-2026-payara-platform-release/
🛠️ Building a Modern Enterprise App with Payara, A 15 Step Journey
Payara Community member Diego Silva walks through building a modern enterprise application step by step using Payara Platform, read more: https://payara.fish/blog/building-a-modern-enterprise-app-with-payara-a-15-step-journey/
Talks, Community and Culture
🎮 Enterprise Java Can Do Games Too!
A talk from last year’s JavaOne from Payara’s Fabio Turizo showing how Enterprise Java technologies can be used in game development scenarios, watch here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wUMDNuzP7M&t=3s
📘 Bringing Java Closer to Education, A Community Driven Initiative
An article by Igor De Souza exploring efforts to make Java more accessible and relevant in educational contexts, read here: https://foojay.io/today/bringing-java-closer-to-education-a-community-driven-initiative/
🗳️ Why Is My Talk Selected? Reflections from a Program Committee Reviewer
An honest look at how CFP submissions are reviewed and what speakers can learn from the process, from Soham Dasgupta: https://foojay.io/today/why-is-my-talk-selected-reflections-from-a-program-committee-reviewer/
📺 JChampions Conference Recordings
A full stream of sessions from the JChampions Conference, now available for replay: https://www.youtube.com/@JChampionsConf/streams
Open Calls for Papers (CFPs)
Until Next Time
Thanks for reading this January edition of The Monthly Catch. With so much community energy, technical exploration and ecosystem progress across Java and Jakarta EE, the year is already off to a great start. Stay tuned for the February edition – and perhaps see you at the next conference!
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