From roughly the middle of last year, you may noticed that browsers like Chrome, Safari and Firefox have dialed back their support for Java browser plug-ins. The move came as web browsers did away with such multimedia extensions, as they were seen to ultimately inhibit the online experience of many users. Oracle, which own the programming language on which Java is built, have taken cognisance of this, announcing that it will bringing the plug-in to an end with the rollout of an update on 22 September 2016.

The company cited the "rise of web usage on mobile devices," as the reason why it has chosen to drop the plug-in altogether. It also acknowledged that companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla have made it increasingly difficult for the Java browser plug-in to stay relevant, as they have already built similar features into their respective browsers.

"With modern browser vendors working to restrict and reduce plugin support in their products, developers of applications that rely on the Java browser plugin need to consider alternative options such as migrating from Java Applets (which rely on a browser plugin) to the plugin-free Java Web Start technology," concluded Oracle in a blog post.