{"id":232821,"date":"2026-02-12T13:01:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/java\/?p=232821"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:26:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T22:26:48","slug":"microsoft-at-devnexus-2026-practical-ai-for-real-world-java-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/java\/microsoft-at-devnexus-2026-practical-ai-for-real-world-java-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft at DevNexus 2026: Practical AI for Real-World Java Development"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s\u00a0DevNexus\u00a0agenda 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\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0safe to put into production.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0exactly the lens\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0bringing to Atlanta.\u00a0Microsoft will be onsite throughout the week, sharing real-world lessons\u00a0and\u00a0strategic insights from thousands of\u00a0customers\u00a0running Java in production, broadly divided into\u00a0three focus areas:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reimagining\u00a0the developer experience with Agentic DevOps:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Agentic DevOps<\/span><\/a> 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\u00a0by\u00a0automating everything from code generation and testing to deployment and monitoring. Agentic DevOps is deeply integrated into\u00a0GitHub,\u00a0<\/span>GitHub Copilot<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>Azure<\/span><\/a>, helping teams offload repetitive work and focus on building, reviewing, and shipping software that creates real value for customers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An agentic platform for end-to-end delivery:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Azure\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft Foundry<\/span><\/a>\u00a0power a seamless delivery pipeline, automating code analysis, app modernization, and production optimization.\u00a0This means less time spent on tedious tasks, and more time driving innovation that moves the business forward.\u00a0For businesses, this means accelerated time-to-market, reduced technical debt, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing market needs,\u00a0turning software teams into engines of business growth.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AI powered Java migration and modernization:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>By combining\u00a0<\/span>GitHub\u00a0Copilot\u00a0App Mod<\/span><\/a>\u00a0tooling 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\u00a0is lower infrastructure costs, greater agility, and scalable platforms that\u00a0support continuous innovation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Microsoft<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sessions\u00a0focused on the\u00a0end-to-end\u00a0AI Journey<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

My colleague Brian Benz, Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, and I are bringing practical, hands-on content that spans the entire AI journey,\u00a0from modernization to responsible deployment.<\/p>\n

Hands-on-workshop: Modernize Apps with AI Agents\n<\/strong>\nWednesday, March 4 | 1:00 PM \u2013 5:00 PM ET<\/h3>\n

Attend this half-day workshop with Brian Benz and me<\/a> 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\u2014limited seats are available and going fast.<\/p>\n

Security track: Responsible Java Developer: Trustworthy GenAI in Practice\n<\/strong>\nFriday, March 6 | 1:20 PM ET<\/h3>\n

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\u2019s Responsible AI standards and engineering experience. https:\/\/devnexus.com\/events\/the-responsible-java-developer-trustworthy-genai-in-practice<\/a><\/p>\n

AI Engineering track: AI Agents for Java Devs: From Demo to Deployment\n<\/strong>\nFriday, March 6 | 3:40 PM ET<\/h3>\n

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\u2019s 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<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Microsoft<\/a>
Featured Microsoft Sessions at Devnexus 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Why This Matters Now<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

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<\/a> (\u201cjaz\u201d), 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Visit\u00a0Microsoft\u00a0Booth!\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stop by\u00a0to explore\u00a0tools and demos that support Java developers across the stack,\u00a0including Azure, GitHub Copilot, and open\u2011source AI capabilities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Register at\u00a0<\/span>devnexus.com<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Resources<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Below are key links referenced in this post for further reading and hands-on learning:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n