EJBs are now plain old Java objects (POJO) that expose regular business interfaces (POJI), and there is no requirement for home interfaces.

► Use of metadata annotations, an extensible, metadata-driven, attribute-oriented framework that is used to generate Java code or XML deployment descriptors.

► Removal of the requirement for specific interfaces and deployment descriptors (deployment descriptor information can be replaced by annotations).

► Interceptor facility to invoke user methods at the invocation of business methods or at life cycle events.

► Default values are used whenever possible (“configuration by exception” approach).

► Reduction in the requirements for usage of checked exception.

► A complete new persistence model (based on the JPA standard), that supersedes EJB 2.x entity beans