A Dimensional Research survey of 500 IT asset managers shows that 73 per cent of organisations using Oracle Java have faced an audit by Oracle in the past three years. Out of 500 IT asset managers surveyed, 73 per cent said Oracle had come knocking, demanding checks on compliance with its labyrinthine licensing.

The same report found nearly eight in ten organisations are either already migrating or actively planning to move to open-source Java in an effort to escape spiralling costs and the ever-present threat of audits. Only 14 per cent intend to stick with Oracle’s subscription model. All this seems to represent a stunning rejection of the vendor’s increasingly aggressive licensing strategy.

Oracle’s shift in January 2023 from per‑user to per‑employee pricing triggered price hikes of between two and five times, according to Gartner. The vendor also introduced four licensing and pricing changes between 2020 and 2023, forcing many users to upgrade constantly or shift to open‑source to remain cost‑effective under its Java SE Universal Subscription.

Licensing audits are proving costly. A quarter of organisations say complex software configurations hinder tracking, while 29 per cent struggle across on‑premises and cloud platforms. More than 25 per cent spend over $100,000 (€92,000) annually on resolving non‑compliance, with 27 per cent reporting bills north of $500,000 (€460,000). IT asset managers describe audits as “highly disruptive” leading to unexpected budget hits, stalled projects and stymied vendor decisions.

The survey decisively underscores the financial pain companies are facing with 37 per cent say compliance and excessive licensing top their list of IT challenges. Meanwhile, 96 per cent fear Oracle’s pricing moves and 66 per cent believe switching to open-source could slash costs by at least 40 per cent.

A separate Redress Compliance survey of 398 firms found 75 per cent reported being contacted by Oracle about Java licensing in the past 24 months. Of those, 28 per cent faced “soft” audits and 15 per cent endured formal ones. Nearly every organisation surveyed plans to exit Oracle Java entirely.

With such broad consensus and significant cost savings on offer, open‑source Java is rapidly becoming the default choice. CIOs are now advised to closely monitor Java usage, simulate audits and prepare clear migration roadmaps to avoid surprise bill shock and stay ahead of Oracle’s next move.