Azul launches TAP Program to boost global Java innovation & security

Azul has introduced the Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) Program to broaden its partnership network and enhance Java solutions globally.

The TAP Program establishes a structured framework that enables independent software vendors (ISVs) and technology partners to access Azul's Java expertise, technologies, and collaborative go-to-market initiatives. This initiative aims to help partners accelerate product development, improve the integration of Java tools, and co-market new solutions to their customer base.

By participating in the TAP Program, ISVs benefit from technical integration support, collaboration with Azul product managers and engineers, and access to Azul's developer tools, runtime environments, and broader ecosystem. The program also offers co-branding opportunities and connects partners to new markets and customer segments.

For customers, the program is intended to deliver improvements in performance, security, and cost efficiency, particularly in public cloud and infrastructure usage. It focuses on four main solution areas: developer tools and productivity, DevOps efficiency, business and productivity software, and cloud cost savings or infrastructure cost reduction. These areas reflect the core priorities of enterprise Java users, where cost, performance, and security are critical.

Partner and customer impact

Azul's TAP Program has already seen uptake by companies in supply chain security, application development, and modernisation. The company expects to expand its partner roster further throughout 2025, bringing in additional technology providers to address key categories relevant to the Java ecosystem.

A series of real-world case studies illustrates the program's early effects. Moderne, a vendor serving a global employment marketplace, used Azul Intelligence Cloud to identify unused and outdated code. By collaborating with Moderne's OpenRewrite-based platform and integrating Azul's runtime, the company was able to automate a remediation process that would have taken 21 person-years, completing it in just a few days.

"Modernising enterprise Java applications is a massive challenge. Moderne enables our customers to tackle technical debt at scale - bringing entire fleets of applications forward in parallel," said Jonathan Schneider, CEO and co-founder of Moderne. "Partnering with Azul gives us the real-time data to drive transformations across codebases faster and with greater confidence."

Another customer story involved Payara and a large securities industry foundation, which needed to update its financial education platform. By moving to Payara Platform Enterprise, using Azul Platform Core and Azul Platform Prime as the default Java Virtual Machines, the foundation increased user capacity per machine by 2.5 times and gained new scalability opportunities.

"Payara is committed to delivering cloud-native Java solutions for global enterprises, from powerful runtimes to Payara Qube - our Kubernetes-native automation platform that simplifies and scales Java deployments," said Steve Millidge, CEO and founder of Payara. "The Azul TAP program creates exciting opportunities for deeper collaboration that brings customers better performance, stronger security and more choice across their Java deployments."

RapidFort, another TAP member, worked with a US wealth management firm that faced challenges with Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) remediation. Instead of addressing an extensive backlog of CVEs, the firm chose to prioritise vulnerabilities within its applications while RapidFort and Azul mitigated risks elsewhere - including by using containers embedded with Azul Java runtimes. This strategy improved developer productivity and accelerated the deployment of new services.

"Performance and security go hand in hand, especially in cloud environments where efficiency is critical," said George Manuelian, co-founder of RapidFort. "By joining Azul's TAP program, we're giving enterprises the ability to optimise Java workloads with a dramatically smaller attack surface and lower cloud costs."

Azul's perspective

Java is widely used for enterprise and cloud-native applications, and Azul's approach is to foster greater collaboration among technology partners for mutual customer benefit. The company positions TAP as a central driver in this mission.

"Java remains the backbone of modern enterprise and cloud-native applications, and at Azul, our mission is to give enterprises more - more performance, more value and more choice," said George Gould, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategic Alliances at Azul.

Gould said, "The Technology Alliance Partner Program is a powerful catalyst for innovation, enabling Azul and our ecosystem partners to co-create solutions that streamline development and operations, as well as make Java run more securely and more cost-effectively across today's distributed environments. By aligning with technology leaders who share our vision, we can help our joint customers boost application performance, reduce costs and enhance security across their Java landscape."

The TAP Program forms part of Azul's broader PartnerConnect ecosystem, which also includes solution providers, value-added resellers, and authorised distributors. The initiative reflects an emphasis on collaborative development and market reach in support of Java's ongoing relevance in enterprise computing.