Eclipse RCP, the Rich Client Platform, remains a robust and widely deployed foundation for professional desktop and embedded applications. It continues to evolve in alignment with the Eclipse Platform and the Simultaneous Release, maintaining compatibility with current Java LTS versions and modern JVMs.
However, it is important to be explicit: while Eclipse platform technologies are still embedded in thousands of applications and commercial products, the Eclipse IDE itself is used by a shrinking portion of developers. This shift directly impacts the sustainability model that historically funded and governed these technologies.
RCP is therefore not obsolete, but it is at risk if the organisations that depend on it remain passive.
Compatibility with modern Java Eclipse RCP follows current Java LTS releases, allowing long-lived products to adopt new JVM improvements and language features without disruptive rewrites.
Coordinated Simultaneous Releases RCP is part of the Eclipse Simultaneous Release, ensuring consistent, tested, and aligned delivery across the platform stack on a predictable quarterly cadence.
Security maintenance and CVE coordination The Eclipse community actively tracks and addresses vulnerabilities. Security fixes are coordinated across platform components and integrated into each release cycle.
Mature modular architecture based on OSGi RCP applications benefit from a proven modular system that supports large codebases, controlled extensibility, versioning, and long-term maintenance.
Deployed in real products and critical systems RCP technologies are not experimental. They are used in industrial tooling, engineering systems, embedded environments, and other contexts with strong stability and lifecycle requirements.
Open, vendor-neutral governance As an Eclipse Foundation technology, RCP is developed under transparent governance, open source licensing, and without dependency on a single commercial vendor.
The long term sustainability of the Eclipse IDE and its underlying platform technologies cannot be inferred from their continued deployment alone. While Eclipse RCP and Simultaneous Release components remain widely used in commercial products and, in some cases, critical systems, the Eclipse IDE itself is adopted by a decreasing share of developers.
This evolution directly affects the historical funding and contribution model that has sustained these technologies for years.
As a result, enterprises that rely on:
have a direct stake in ensuring their future.
If these technologies are part of your products, platforms, or operational environments, their long term viability should be treated as a strategic concern.
The Eclipse RCP and IDE Working Group provides a structured and vendor neutral framework for organisations that depend on these technologies and need to:
For enterprises using Eclipse RCP or Simultaneous Release components in production, this Working Group is the primary point of contact.
Membership information is available at: https://eclipseide.org/membership/
Not all organisations or individuals are in a position to immediately join a Working Group. For those cases, direct sponsorship remains a concrete and effective way to support the Eclipse IDE and the underlying platform technologies.
Sponsorship contributions help fund:
Individuals and companies who depend on these technologies, or want to help secure their future, can contribute via the Eclipse IDE sponsorship programme:
https://www.eclipse.org/sponsor/ide/
Using Eclipse RCP in a product or critical system? Engage with the Eclipse IDE & RCP Working Group to help secure the future of the platform your systems depend on.