Jakarta EE 9 Milestone 1: What the Shift to jakarta.* Means for Java Developers

Jakarta EE 9 Milestone 1 Released

Jakarta EE 9 Milestone 1, the first milestone before the release candidate, officially transitions the platform from the javax.* namespace to jakarta.*. This change is driven by Oracle’s decision to retain rights to the original namespace.

The milestone updates all APIs to use the new jakarta.* package names, removes deprecated specifications from Jakarta EE 8, and provides new reference implementations such as Jersey, Tyrus, and Yasson. GlassFish 6.0.0‑M1 is also available for deploying applications on the new namespace.

Key Objectives

Lower barriers for new vendors and implementations to achieve compatibility.

Accelerate version releases to serve as a platform for future innovation.

Offer developers a stable platform using the new namespace.

What the Milestone Includes

Removal of old, optional, or deprecated specifications from Jakarta EE 8 to reduce API count.

Provision of all Jakarta EE 9 APIs under the jakarta.* namespace.

Migration of extensive specification documentation to the Eclipse Foundation with updated namespace references.

Availability of the Jakarta EE 9 TCK for the new namespace.

Release of compatible implementations, including Jersey, Tyrus, Yasson, and GlassFish 6.0.0‑M1.

Developers can now experiment with the new namespace, begin migrating applications, frameworks, and tools, and benefit from a more streamlined set of APIs that underpin many modern Java frameworks.

For full specifications, visit https://jakarta.ee/specifications/platform/9 .