---
title: "What exactly is Apache Camel?"  
description: "What exactly is Apache Camel?"  
author: "Anonymous User"  
published: 2015-07-06  
updated: 2015-07-06  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/23322/what-exactly-is-apache-camel  
category: "java"  
tags: ["java"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What exactly is Apache Camel?

I don't understand what exactly Camel does.\
If you could give in 101 words an [introduction](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/13122/an-introduction-to-network-cables) to Camel:\
What exactly is it?How does it interact with an [application](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12824/calculator-application-in-android) written in [Java](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12214/web-development-company-in-india-laid-on-the-foundation-of-concrete-java-programming)?Is it something that goes [together](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/80819/live-in-relationship-protecting-the-right-to-live-together) with the [server](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/43769/what-is-serverless-architecture-is-it-worth-switching-over)?Is it an [independent](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12905/fynsis-announce-suitecrm-customer-portal-independent-client-service-platform) [program](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/12337/scaling-up-your-mentorship-program)?

## Replies

### Reply by Anonymous User

Apache Camel is an open source Java framework that focuses on making integration easier and more accessible to developers. It does this by providing:\
concrete implementations of all the widely used Enterprise Integration Patterns (EIPs)connectivity to a great variety of transports and APIseasy to use Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) to wire EIPs and transports together\
Apache Camel is messaging technology glue with routing. It joins together messaging start and end points allowing the transference of messages from different sources to different destinations. For example: JMS -> JSON, HTTP -> JMS or funneling FTP -> JMS, HTTP -> JMS, JSON -> JMS\
\
When there is a requirement to connect / integrate systems, you will probably need to connect to some data source and then process this data to match your business requirements.**\****In order to do that:**\
1) You could develop custom program that would do it (might be time consuming and hard to understand, maintain for other developer)\
2) Alternatively, you could use Apache Camel to do it in standardised way (it has most of the connectors already developed for you, you just need to set it up and plug your logic - called Process):\
Camel will help you to:\
Consume data from any source/formatProcess this dataOutput data to any source/formatBy using Apache Camel you will make it easy to understand / maintain / extend your system to another developer.\
Apache Camel is developed with Enterprise Integration Patterns. The patterns help you to integrate systems in a good way :-)![What exactly is Apache Camel?](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickforums/ccefbaaa-f9f4-4d3a-95ad-c2419cd198a5/images/5d7fed50-bd72-4d9a-a1fe-7455262ef1ea.png)\
\
For more details learn ***Camel in Action !!***


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