From healthcare systems processing millions of patient records to financial platforms handling global transactions, Spring Framework powers the applications that fuel our economy. Here’s what IT leaders need to know about Spring’s next chapter.
Spring is thriving.
At SpringOne at VMware Explore 2025 in Las Vegas, Purnima Padmanabhan, vice president and general manager of Broadcom’s Tanzu Division, delivered a message that should resonate with every IT executive: Spring Framework now supports over 60 projects and continues to be the backbone of enterprise applications across the healthcare, financial services, energy, and defense sectors.
The framework isn’t just popular. It has grown and matured to a degree that it has become a strategic business advantage for the organizations that use it.
Why Spring matters to your C-suite conversations
Spring offers performance that impacts your bottom line:
- 2x faster startup times can reduce infrastructure costs and improve user experience.
- 20% less memory usage means you can lower cloud bills and improve resource utilization.
- Enterprise-ready deployment within hours significantly accelerates time to market.
Spring enables AI integration without the complexity:
With Spring AI, your development teams can integrate AI capabilities into existing applications without rebuilding entire systems. This is production-ready technology that democratizes AI access across your organization.
Spring helps future-proof your technology stack:
Spring Boot 4 and Spring Framework 7, set to launch later this year, will enable your technology investments to remain current and competitive. They will feature enhanced support, an optimized application footprint, and zero-boilerplate HTTP clients.
The Tanzu-Spring partnership: A strategic advantage
Here’s what makes this particularly relevant for enterprise leaders: When Tanzu succeeds, Spring thrives. Broadcom’s proprietary innovations in Tanzu directly fuel heavier investments in Spring open source.
This creates a virtuous cycle:
- Enterprise success generates resources
- Resources fund Spring innovation
- Innovation benefits the entire community
- Community growth creates more enterprise opportunities
Real-world impact across industries
The applications your customers interact with daily (whether they’re checking account balances, scheduling medical appointments, or managing energy consumption) are increasingly powered by Spring. This isn’t just about developer preference; it’s about business continuity and competitive advantage.
- Healthcare systems rely on Spring for patient data management and real-time processing.
- Financial institutions trust Spring for transaction processing and security.
- Energy companies use Spring for grid management and optimization.
- Defense contractors depend on Spring for mission-critical applications.
What this means for your technology strategy
These are immediate actions you can take:
- Assess your current Spring deployments and identify optimization opportunities.
- Evaluate Spring AI capabilities for your AI integration roadmap.
- Plan upgrade paths with confidence using Spring’s simplified support timelines.
Meanwhile, keep in mind a few strategic considerations:
- Developer productivity – Spring’s “easy to use” philosophy translates to faster development cycles and reduced training costs
- Scalability – The framework’s robust foundation supports growth without architectural rewrites
- Innovation speed – Automatic upgrades and performance optimizations reduce maintenance overhead
The video below offers critical strategic intelligence for IT leaders. It features Padmanabhan’s opening remarks on Spring’s roadmap and Broadcom’s investment. It covers Spring Boot 4, Spring Framework 7, Application Advisor for upgrades and issue mitigation, and Spring AI for embedding AI technologies. The video concludes with a demo showing how Application Advisor, Tanzu Spring Enterprise, Spring AI, and VMware Tanzu Platform modernize legacy applications into secure, intelligent systems. This is a resource that can help you with long-term technology decisions.
Key takeaways for leadership
- Spring Framework is expanding rapidly, with over 60 supported projects.
- Performance improvements are quantifiable and directly impact operational costs.
- AI integration is production-ready, not experimental.
- Broadcom’s continued investment ensures long-term viability and innovation.
- The Tanzu Platform provides the optimal environment for Spring applications.
The question isn’t whether Java and Spring are here to stay—they are. The question is whether your organization is positioned to leverage the innovations that will define enterprise application development for the next decade.
