Then Node.js was spawned, turning developers’ heads with its speed. Not only was JavaScript faster on the server than anyone had expected, but it was often faster than Java and other options.

Node.js is generally accepted and understood by both Java and .Net camps, whose developers are comfortable with JavaScript syntax and are able to deploy Node.js on both Unix and Windows ...

Online payment service PayPal says swapping Java for node.js on its servers is allowing it to serve web pages more rapidly and simplifying the creation of server-side software.