Excelsior's Ahead-Of-Time Java Compiler Now Available For ARM Platforms

NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia, Nov. 7, 2016 -- Excelsior LLC, a well-established vendor of compliant Java SE technology implementations, has announced today the general availability of its first product for Java developers targeting ARM-based devices, Excelsior JET Embedded 11.3 for Linux/ARM.

Excelsior JET Control Panel screenshot

Excelsior JET Embedded is a complete implementation of the Java SE Embedded technology, enhanced with an Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) optimizing native code compiler. It helps vendors of Java-powered devices protect their intellectual property and improve the run time characteristics of their Java code.

When run on traditional JVMs equipped with Just-In-Time (JIT) compilers, Java applications are known to start slowly and exhibit bad response times until the JIT compiler kicks in and compiles the performance-critical pieces down to native code. These may be non-issues for a server-side enterprise application that runs for many days on a cluster of multiprocessor servers. In the context of an embedded device, however, fast application startup and immediate demonstration of short, consistent response times are often among the top requirements. An AOT compiler enables embedded Java developers to circumvent the restrictions of their target hardware.

"AOT compilation not only reduces the startup time of Java applications and eliminates the "JIT non-determinism", as one of our prospects has put it, but also makes reverse engineering of application code much more expensive, which is good for security and intellectual property protection," said Dmitry Leskov, Excelsior's Director of Marketing.

The ARM architecture flavors initially targeted by Excelsior JET Embedded are ARMv7-A with VFPv3-D16 extension or better, and 32-bit ARMv8-A. Future versions will also support 64-bit ARMv8 CPUs; support for the lower-end processors will be driven by customer demand.

Excelsior JET Embedded 11.3 for Linux/ARM and Intel-based platforms is available for evaluation and purchase immediately direct from Excelsior at https://www.excelsiorjet.com/embedded. Pricing depends on the customer's choice of a support plan and project parameters. Excelsior is an Oracle Java Licensee, so, on the one hand, its product has passed the official compatibility test suite and includes Oracle's implementation of the Java SE Platform API, but, on the other hand, the use of a licensed Java implementation in an embedded device requires paying per-unit royalties to Oracle.

Also released today is Excelsior JET 11.3 for desktop and server platforms based on Intel CPUs: https://www.excelsiorjet.com/evaluate

About Excelsior LLC

Excelsior LLC provides advanced Java-compatible solutions and software development services with particular focus on optimizing compilers, high performance runtime environments, and the Java technology. Excelsior is a Java Authorized Licensee. The company's flagship product, Excelsior JET, is a complete solution for acceleration, protection, and deployment of Java applications. Founded in 1999, Excelsior is headquartered in the Novosibirsk Scientific Center, Russia, and is on the web at www.excelsior-usa.com.