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2013 was a year of Java releases. The JavaOne 2013 opening video is available on YouTube/Java channel now. It is a great story of how Java is improving our lives, and how the world is getting connected. Following are some of the top stories of Java in the year of 2013:

Release of Java EE 7

Java Platform, Enterprise Edition 7 (Java EE 7) offers new features that enhance HTML5 support, increase developer productivity, and further improves how enterprise demands can be met. Java EE 7 developers will write less boilerplate code, have better support for the latest Web applications and frameworks, and gain access to enhanced scalability and richer, simpler functionality. Enterprises will benefit from new features that enable portable batch processing and improved scalability.

JavaFX is Open Source

In January, first code drop of JavaFX 2.0 source code was made public on OpenJFX. Everybody is welcome to contribute to this project, port it to other platforms or devices, or do anything else that a free software license allows you to do!

Java and the Internet of Things

Everyone was waking up to the Internet of Things (IoT) in 2013. The Java language and platform were ready for this new wave. Oracle delivers a comprehensive platform for the entire IoT architecture across all vertical markets. From the Java platform to embedded data-management systems; from back-end databases, big data technologies, middleware, and integration and analytics technologies to extreme performance hardware that turns data into insight, Oracle is the only company that delivers an integrated, reliable, and secure platform to meet your IoT program needs today and into the future.

Java SE Update Releases

Oracle focused and addressed several security issues with Java SE Updates throughout the year: Java SE 7 Update 11 and Java 7 Update 25. Java SE 7 Update 21 introduced new security features, including a Server Java Runtime Environment (Server JRE). Java SE 7 Update 40 included Java Mission Control, set of tools to monitor, manage, profile, and eliminate memory leaks in your Java applications.

Oracle Ends Commercial Support of GlassFish

Oracle announced it will no longer release future major releases of Oracle GlassFish Server with commercial support.

Java attacks reach critical mass

This was a rough year for Java in the browser. Major new vulnerabilities repeatedly battered Java browser plugins, encouraging many organizations to get rid of Java in the browser if possible. But the good thing is, as Oracle had promised, it released an out-of-band fix more rapidly than some observers had expected.

Java SE 8 

Java 8 is expected in March 2014, and will include features that were planned for Java 7 but later deferred. Java SE 8 is well underway, and early access builds are available. Lambdas are a key feature.

Stay tuned for much more about this release in 2014.