The next major Java SE release, Java 7, could potentially usher in a maintenance wave starting Sep 2010. Java7 has lot of good features . . .

http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk7/features/So much so that it almost feels like a new language . . . e.g. Multicatch, Jigsaw . . .

http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk7/features/

http://code.joejag.com/2009/new-language-features-in-java-7/

This could trigger a massive rewrite of the entire Java codebase.

Take this with C# 4.0 new features . . . and F# the new successor . . . the entire .NET platform could get a rewrite as well.