The Support Roadmap for Oracle Java is published here:
Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap
The latest updates to that page (as of Sept. 19, 2012) state (emphasis added):
Java SE 6 End of Public Updates Notice
After February 2013, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java SE 6 to
its public download sites. Existing Java SE 6 downloads already posted
as of February 2013 will remain accessible in the Java Archive
on Oracle Technology Network. Developers and end-users are encouraged
to update to more recent Java SE versions that remain available for
public download. For enterprise customers, who need continued access to
critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for
Java SE 6 or older versions, long term support is available through Oracle Java SE Support .
What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?
EBS users fall under the category of "enterprise users" above. Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 6 updates after
February 2013.
In other words, nothing will change for EBS users after February 2013.
EBS users will continue to receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for Java SE 6. These Java SE 6 updates will be made available to EBS users for the Extended Support periods documented in the Oracle Lifetime Support policy document for Oracle Applications (PDF):
EBS 11i Extended Support ends November 2013
EBS 12.0 Extended Support ends January 2015
EBS 12.1 Extended Support ends December 2018
Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?
No. This upgrade will be highly recommended but currently remains optional. JRE 6 will be available to Windows users to run with EBS for
the duration of your respective EBS Extended Support period. Updates will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for JRE 6 desktop clients.
The certification of Oracle E-Business Suite with JRE 7 (for desktop
clients accessing EBS Forms-based content) is in its final stages. If
you plan to upgrade your EBS desktop clients to JRE 7 when that
certification is released, you can get a head-start on that today.
Coexistence of JRE 6 and JRE 7 on Windows desktops
The upgrade to JRE 7 will be highly recommended for EBS users, but some users may need to run both JRE 6 and 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.
Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 7 will
be invoked instead of JRE 6 if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290801.1 and 393931.1.
Applying Updates to JRE 6 and JRE 7 to Windows desktops
Auto-update will keep JRE 7 up-to-date for Windows users with JRE 7 installed.
Auto-update will only keep JRE 7 up-to-date for Windows users with both JRE 6 and 7 installed.
JRE 6 users are strongly encouraged to apply the latest Critical Patch Updates as soon as possible after each release. The Jave SE CPUs will be available via My Oracle Support. EBS users can find more information about JRE 6 and 7 updates here:
Information Center: Installation & Configuration for Oracle Java SE (Note 1412103.2)
The dates for future Java SE CPUs can be found on the Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Third Party Bulletin. An RSS feed is available on that site for those who would like to be kept up-to-date.
What will Mac users need?
Oracle will provide updates to JRE 7 for Mac OS X users. EBS users running Macs will need to upgrade to JRE 7 to receive JRE updates.
The certification of Oracle E-Business Suite with JRE 7 for Mac-based desktop
clients accessing EBS Forms-based content is underway. Mac users waiting for that certification may find this article useful:
How to Reenable Apple Java 6 Plug-in for Mac EBS Users
Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?
No. This upgrade will be highly recommended but will be optional for EBS application tier servers running on Windows, Linux, and Solaris. You can
choose to remain on JDK 6 for
the duration of your respective EBS Extended Support period. If you
remain on JDK 6, you will continue to receive critical bug fixes and
security fixes as well as general maintenance for JDK 6.
The certification of Oracle E-Business Suite with JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers on Windows, Linux, and Solaris as well as other platforms such as IBM AIX and HP-UX is planned. Customers running platforms other than Windows, Linux, and Solaris should refer to their Java vendors's sites for more information about their support policies.
Related Articles
Planning Bulletin for JRE 7: What EBS Customers Can Do Today
EBS 11i and 12.1 Support Timeline Changes
Frequently Asked Questions about Latest EBS Support Changes
Critical Patch Updates During EBS 11i Exception to Sustaining Support Period
