Traditionally, software programs have been written and then compiled into machine code that is directly dependent on the operating system that drives the microprocessor in the computer. The Java platform mitigates this dependency by providing a model in which software is written and compiled, and can then be transmitted over a network and run anywhere a fully compliant virtual machine is present.

This model provides the additional benefit of heightened security, both because programs can be verified by the virtual machine after they have been transmitted over a network, and because the virtual machine can run programs in a secure sandbox that prevents certain destructive behaviors.

Software programmers have embraced the Java platform because it reduces the cost and time required to write and support software code. They are no longer required to rewrite software to function on different computers with different operating systems and microprocessors. Companies and organizations deploying applications favor Java technology because it minimizes the cost of purchasing or modifying different versions of software applications for the various types of computers and servers within their networks.