J2EE is one of the most popular platforms for developing enterprise applications. Its journey to a preferred platform for enterprise development has been catalyzed by the extensive functionality and features it provides, such as high scalability, high level of platform independence, portability, and seamless integration with web services. Moreover, J2EE technology provides encapsulation of business logic and user interfaces, which enables component and application developers to focus on smaller modules.   

J2EE Enterprise Applications

Enterprise applications are software and applications that businesses use to manage different operations and to solve enterprise problems. The use of the word “enterprise” to describe applications automatically indicates the enormity of such applications. These are developed for deployment as standalone applications or in tandem with other pre-existing applications. These could include applications used by companies to carry out operations such as accounting, business intelligence, customer relationship management, communication and collaboration, and human resources. These tools are traditionally deployed as ERP suites. Usually, software giants such as Oracle, SAP, IBM, and Microsoft, are involved in such deployment processes.

Growth Trends in Enterprise Applications

The Enterprise application market is expected to turn into a $ 213.43 billion industry in 2020, witnessing a CAGR of 7.4% over the period  2014-2020. This growth has been brought about by the transition of Enterprise applications from back-end supporting tools to business-process enhancement ‘weapons’. This has also been brought about by the strong belief in enterprise applications to smoothen business processes, bring about higher transparency, and initiate faster implementation of work policies.

Why are they important

Since the time they were first developed, enterprise applications have made a significant contribution to how businesses operate. Using well-framed enterprise applications can help drive businesses immensely. They can ensure a business develops and maintains good relationships with its customers. They can improve organizational efficiency, cutting down on cost, and increasing profits. Moreover, enterprise applications can help guide business owners to make informed decisions based on data-driven insights that are accurate and efficient.

The Evolution of J2EE Enterprise Application Development

J2EE Enterprise application development has evolved a lot over the past few years. The traditional approach to developing applications has changed due to the several developments, positive and negative, that have occurred in the past few years in the way businesses use these applications. Just as with natural phenomena, such as selection and survival, several events in recent history have affected how enterprise applications are developed and behave. One such change has been the marginal shift of enterprise applications from on-site deployed systems to distributed and cloud-based systems. Another has been the shift from expensive in-house systems to externally deployed systems, which are more inexpensive to maintain.  

For example, after the banking-crisis-induced economic recession, companies started shying away from enterprise software that is too expensive to deploy, and importantly, to maintain. This was also brought about by the emergence of third-party maintenance services. Vendors who failed to adapt to the new economic climate will likely find themselves struggling to exist.   

Other than that, the rise of cloud computing has been instrumental in forcing companies to switch to different models of enterprise application development. The freedom to implement platform and infrastructure services on cloud-based systems, in a fast and cost-effective manner, has led to the spread of pay-as-you-go SaaS applications. In the present generation, most of these apps are scalable and can address all areas of enterprise software. 

Gradually, companies are going to switch from the on-premise enterprise applications they have already installed to cloud-based, third-party deployable systems to manage their enterprise affairs. The new paradigms of app-consumerism, widespread connectivity and cloud computing have brought new working behaviours in existence. Businesses want the freedom to choose from best-in-class enterprise applications rather than being stuck with one inflexible and expensive business application suite. 

J2EE

J2EE is a development platform built around Java and developed by Sun. J2EE provides a platform for developing and deploying high-performing Web-based enterprise applications. J2EE provides services, APIs, and protocols that allow development of multi-tiered web-based applications. 

The J2EE architecture is based on Java. Thus you can write your code once, and deploy it anywhere on a Java-compliant platform. All Java applications are independent of the underlying operating system. This is made possible by a virtual machine, known as the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which hides the code from the operating system.

J2EE supports containers, runtime environments that provide the services necessary for enterprise applications. These are required in applications such as transactions, security, object pooling, naming services, and persistence services.

The J2EE programming model defines components that get executed inside containers. The Java 2 Enterprise Edition application server facilitates the development of distributed applications by providing many containers that provide services to the applications deployed within them. The type of services provided to the application by the container include security, transactions, object pooling, and naming services. The availability of such services enables the application developer to focus on implementing business and presentation logic.

The containers provided in J2EE are:

• Client container: is installed separately on the client-side and manages the runtime environment for fat client applications. Allows access to business logic on server-side components and provides access to other resources.
• Applets: These are client components that execute in the container with restricted access to system resources. Typically in a Web browser or handheld device.
• Web container: Provides services to the web components (Java Server Pages and Java servlets).
• EJB container: Manages the life cycle of the Enterprise Java Beans deployed within it and provides threading and transaction support
• Web Services container: Standardizes how Web Services are deployed into a J2EE container and XML technologies.
• Java Connector Architecture (JCA) container: Provides a pluggable and configurable option for J2EE applications to access Enterprise Information Systems.

Benefits of Using J2EE

• On the client-side, J2EE supports pure HTML, Java applets, Java server pages, and servlet code
• There is a separate layer for storing the platform’s logic: Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs). EJB servers provide functions such as threading, concurrency, security, and memory management. 
• Provision of Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), the Java equivalent to ODBC, and the standard interface for Java databases.
• Java servlet API, which does not require a graphical user interface, can enhance consistency for Java developers 
• In keeping with the objective of Sun Microsystems, Java EE simplifies app development because of the reduced need for programming. This is possible due to standardized, reusable modular components which handle many aspects of programming automatically.
• Java EE applications are hosted on application servers, such as  IBM's WebSphere, Oracle's GlassFish, or Red Hat's WildFly server. All of these servers run either in the cloud or within a corporate data center. Java EE apps are hosted on the server-side, and the client-side could include many devices/services. Java EE clients could include internet of things (IoT) devices, smartphones, standard web-based applications, WebSocket, etc.
• Because J2EE provides creating standardized and reusable modules, software application development becomes easier because training and programming costs are reduced. Additionally, J2EE enables a multitier architecture that can automatically handle different programming aspects.
• Development of user-friendly software environments. Most software environments usually create a hostile environment for users and businesses. That is, for the need to be efficient, they can sometimes become hard to use and operate. Through custom J2EE development, easily operable software and applications can be developed, thus, enabling smoother business workflows.

Enterprise Application Development with Evon Technologies

The dedicated team of Enterprise Application Development experts at Evon Technologies works towards turning their clients’ vision into real-world applications. Our developers constantly update themselves of the emerging trends in business development, and inculcate those trends into our clients’ enterprise application needs. We handle a broad domain of enterprise application services: from ERP, B2B and B2C Web Portals to Business Intelligence & Analytics, and CRM. Our extensive experience in J2EE-based web and app development has led us through developing Scalable J2EE Web Apps, Enterprise Information Portals, Enterprise integration, etc. Get in touch with us to hire Java developers or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to know more about how we can help you.