Java developers face a tough trifecta: keeping mission-critical systems running, modernizing legacy apps, and weaving AI into real engineering workflows, all without increasing risk. At DevNexus 2026, the Microsoft Java team is tackling these challenges head-on. 

This year’s DevNexus agenda reflects where the Java ecosystem is heading. With dedicated tracks for AI Engineering, Generative AI, and AI in Practice, the conversation has clearly moved beyond experimentation. Developers want to know what works, what scales, and what’s safe to put into production. That’s exactly the lens we’re bringing to Atlanta. Microsoft will be onsite throughout the week, sharing real-world lessons and strategic insights from thousands of customers running Java in production, broadly divided into three focus areas: 

Reimagining the developer experience with Agentic DevOps: Agentic DevOps supercharges productivity by putting AI agents to work across every stage of software delivery. Java teams can ship faster, slash operational costs, and boost product quality by automating everything from code generation and testing to deployment and monitoring. Agentic DevOps is deeply integrated into GitHub, GitHub Copilot, and Azure, helping teams offload repetitive work and focus on building, reviewing, and shipping software that creates real value for customers.  

An agentic platform for end-to-end delivery: Azure and Microsoft Foundry power a seamless delivery pipeline, automating code analysis, app modernization, and production optimization. This means less time spent on tedious tasks, and more time driving innovation that moves the business forward. For businesses, this means accelerated time-to-market, reduced technical debt, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing market needs, turning software teams into engines of business growth.  

AI powered Java migration and modernization: By combining GitHub Copilot App Mod tooling with Azure application platform services, Microsoft empowers Java teams to migrate legacy apps to the cloud, modernize architectures, and unlock AI-enabled development. The result is lower infrastructure costs, greater agility, and scalable platforms that support continuous innovation.  

Sessions focused on the end-to-end AI Journey 

My colleague Brian Benz, Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, and I are bringing practical, hands-on content that spans the entire AI journey, from modernization to responsible deployment.

Hands-on-workshop: Modernize Apps with AI Agents Wednesday, March 4 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

Attend this half-day workshop with Brian Benz and me to explore how AI agents can address modernization tasks such as scanning extensive codebases, developing upgrade plans, and automating repetitive processes that typically require months to complete. Participants will have the opportunity for hands-on experience with GitHub Copilot and Azure AI. Register now—limited seats are available and going fast.

Security track: Responsible Java Developer: Trustworthy GenAI in Practice Friday, March 6 | 1:20 PM ET

As AI moves from experimentation to production, Java developers face real questions around privacy, bias mitigation, safety, and governance. In this session, Brian discusses practical ways to design and deploy trustworthy GenAI systems, with guidance drawn from Microsoft’s Responsible AI standards and engineering experience. https://devnexus.com/events/the-responsible-java-developer-trustworthy-genai-in-practice

AI Engineering track: AI Agents for Java Devs: From Demo to Deployment Friday, March 6 | 3:40 PM ET

With the current pace of change, many Java developers feel overwhelmed by the number of tools and models, multiple starting points, and uncertainty about how it all fits within their existing environments. Brian’s session shows how to move from cool demos to production-ready solutions, using accessible AI agents for planning, coding, and scaling with GitHub Copilot, Azure AI, and open-source tools. https://devnexus.com/events/ai-agents-for-java-devs-from-demo-to-deployment

Why This Matters Now 

Over the past year, we continued investing directly in the Java ecosystem, both upstream and in production environments. With the release of OpenJDK 25 and Microsoft Build of OpenJDK 25 as the newest Long-Term Support release, we delivered cross-platform binaries, container images, managed Azure platform support, and production-grade validation across enterprise workloads. We also introduced the Azure Command Launcher for Java (“jaz”), which applies intelligent JVM defaults to improve GC stability, startup behavior, and performance consistency at scale. These investments reinforce a simple principle: AI innovation only matters if the underlying Java platform remains stable, performant, and production-ready.

As AI becomes embedded in daily development workflows, the conversation for Java teams is less about hype and more about integration. The real question is how new capabilities fit into existing JVM estates, established frameworks, and long-running production systems. The focus remains on practical modernization, predictable performance, secure design, and operational discipline. These DevNexus sessions examine real engineering trade-offs such as upgrading LTS baselines, modernizing frameworks, tuning JVM behavior, and introducing AI responsibly into mature Java environments, grounded in hands-on experience with large production Java workloads.

Visit Microsoft Booth!  

Stop by to explore tools and demos that support Java developers across the stack, including Azure, GitHub Copilot, and open‑source AI capabilities.  We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta. 

Register at devnexus.com 

Resources 

Below are key links referenced in this post for further reading and hands-on learning: 

• GitHub Copilot App Modernization App assessment and modernization with Copilot App Mod.

• Java and AI for Beginners YouTube Series Essential first steps of working with generative AI in Java

• Microsoft Foundry Secure model deployment and management platform.

• Java Demo Code and Samples SkiShop – Legacy to Modern Application Migration Demo

• Java AI Samples on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/developer/java/ai 

• Azure Command Launcher for Java https://aka.ms/jaz

• Microsoft for Java Developers Java at Microsoft: 2025 Year in Review

Upcoming events 

• February 14 | Microsoft Reactor: Modernize your Java apps in Days with AI Agents https://aka.ms/ADL/Feb17-b
• March 10-12 | JavaLand 2026 https://www.javaland.eu/en/home/
• March 11 | Microsoft Reactor: AI Apps & Agents Dev Days (Morning Session) https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/reactor/events/26660/
• March 11 | Microsoft Reactor: AI Apps & Agents Dev Days (Afternoon Session) https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/reactor/events/26683/
• March 17-19 | JavaOne 2026 https://www.oracle.com/javaone/
• April 8-9 | Microsoft JDConf 2026: Virtual Java Developer Conference https://jdconf.com