customer story oracle ebs

CF Fertilisers Modernizes Oracle E-Business Suite Access with CheerpJ

21 October 2025

CF Fertilisers Modernizes Oracle E-Business Suite Access with CheerpJ

Project Overview

CF Fertilisers, a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of agricultural fertiliser products, operates across the United Kingdom and the United States. The company relies on Oracle E-Business Suite (R12.1.13) to manage finance, procurement, and production planning.

As part of a broader IT and cybersecurity initiative, CF Fertilisers aimed to remove the dependency on Java 8 (8u311) from all user devices. Oracle EBS required this older Java version and ran in Edge IE mode as a Java Applet, creating ongoing security and compatibility risks.

The objective was to maintain full functionality of Oracle EBS Forms while eliminating local Java installations, improving Rapid-7 security scores, and supporting modern browsers.

Challenges

Before adopting CheerpJ, the IT team faced several operational and technical issues:

  • Legacy browser dependence: Oracle EBS required Internet Explorer, forcing the continued use of IE mode in Microsoft Edge.
  • Outdated Java runtime: Java 8u311 was no longer compliant with internal or external security standards.
  • Security exposure: Java was a major contributor to the company’s Rapid-7 vulnerability score.
  • Management overhead: Maintaining Java installations across UK and US sites created unnecessary complexity and risk.

The company required a solution that could completely remove Java from endpoints without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Solution and Implementation

Why CheerpJ Was Selected

After evaluating available options, CF Fertilisers chose CheerpJ from Leaning Technologies. CheerpJ allows Oracle EBS Forms to run directly inside modern browsers such as Microsoft Edge without requiring a local Java installation.

By converting Java bytecode into JavaScript and WebAssembly, CheerpJ enables the delivery of a secure, browser-based experience with no changes to the existing Oracle EBS environment.

Deployment

Deployment was customized for CF Fertilisers’ regional IT landscapes. Both the UK and US environments used a custom storefront, hosted by Leaning Technologies, to deliver and manage the company’s version of CheerpJ.

  • In the UK, CheerpJ was distributed through Group Policy, ensuring consistent rollout across domain-joined Windows devices.
  • In the US, deployment was managed via Microsoft Intune, providing centralised control and visibility.

This approach provided a consistent user experience across regions and removed the need for local Java or browser plugins.

Outcomes and Benefits

  • Improved security: Removing Java 8u311 from all user PCs reduced Java-related vulnerabilities by around 75%, as reflected in updated Rapid-7 scores.
  • Continuity for users: Oracle EBS Forms continued to function normally, avoiding retraining or process changes.
  • Positive feedback: Users in both regions reported faster login times and smoother performance.
  • Simplified management: The IT team no longer needs to maintain or update Java installations.

Lessons Learned and Future Direction

During initial testing, the IT team encountered some issues linked to security changes and deprecated browser features in Microsoft Edge. Collaboration with Leaning Technologies, including engineering support, resolved these quickly.

The project strengthened CF Fertilisers’ overall cybersecurity strategy by removing outdated software dependencies and modernizing access to critical enterprise systems.

With CheerpJ now in production, CF Fertilisers has secured and future-proofed its Oracle EBS environment while maintaining reliability and performance for business-critical users.

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