5 Tips for Investigating and Implementing Java Tools

Java development environments are more complex than ever, and these complexities are creating barriers to innovation. As your business looks to do more with less in 2025, the secret to creating whitespace for innovation is investing in Java tools.  

But it’s not enough to simply invest in any Java tools; they need to be the right Java tools. Read on to learn tips for investigating and implementing development tools with your enterprise Java development team.

Now Is the Time to Invest in Java Tools 

While headlines report widespread hiring freezes, 58% of enterprise Java users said their companies plan to add developer headcount in the coming year, according to the 2025 Java Developer Productivity Report.  

That stat is heartening considering that economic headwinds continue to shift. But the undercurrent is concerning; 32% were unsure of hiring plans for the coming year and 9% were not planning to add headcount.  

Java leaders are looking for solutions that can help fill the gap without the costs of adding an additional full-time developer. That’s where Java development tools come in. 36% of enterprise respondents said they expect to increase their Java development tool budget in 2025 and 51% are unsure. But our Java experts believe those numbers should be higher.  

Why? 26% of enterprise developers say that insufficient developer tools are their biggest barrier to developer productivity. Java tools don’t replace a full-time developer, but the right tools can foster efficiency in enterprise development environments no matter how many developers are in seat — now or in the future.  

Enterprises Demand Purpose-Built Development Tools 

Enterprise developers and leaders value robust, enterprise-grade development tools — and the data backs that claim. When asked what AI tools they turned to as a part of the 2025 Java Developer Productivity Report, 52% selected GitHub CoPilot, whereas respondents from smaller companies favored ChatGPT. Enterprise Java developers recognize the value of investing in robust, purpose-built development tools to improve development productivity. 

Many developers are finding that free tools don’t offer the support or integration they need for complex enterprise environments. Investing in purpose-built development tools yields dividends in increased productivity and reduced friction.  

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Recommendations for Decision Makers When Investigating Java Tools 

Java team leaders play a critical role in setting their Java development teams up for success. Here are actionable recommendations to overcome complexity in your enterprise Java development environment and enhance the developer experience.  

1. Invest in Developer-Centric Tools  

Evaluate and adopt tools that solve specific bottlenecks, such as long redeploy times that break developer flow or fragmented environments that add hurdles. Solutions like JRebel  can significantly improve developer productivity by helping developers stay focused.  

2. Automate Tasks Where Possible 

Automate repetitive tasks such as testing, deployment, and error detection using AI-powered tools. This allows developers to focus their time on coding.  

3. Support Individuality in Developer’s Workspaces 

Empower your developers to choose tools and configurations that align with their individual workflows. Allowing flexibility in IDEs or plugins enhances the developer experience and improves productivity.  

4. Make Developer Experience a KPI 

Create cross-functional productivity teams to continually assess tools, test new possibilities, and optimize workflows based on developer feedback.  

5. Track ROI for Developer Tools 

Developer tools only help ease enterprise development environment complexity if developers actually use them. Teams should look for tools that offer real-time ROI reporting, or, for teams with more developer productivity groups, consider investing in a platform that consolidates productivity metrics across the breadth of your productivity toolset. 

Final Thoughts