Apache Camel is a POJO based routing and mediation engine which is small, has minimal dependencies and can be easily embedded other project such as
- a Message Broker like Apache ActiveMQ
- a smart web services (JAX-WS) client like Apache CXF
- a JBI container or ESB like Apache ServiceMix
- an SCA runtime like Apache Tuscany
- a networking framework like Apache MINA
Apache Camel uses a pure Java declarative DSL for configuring the routes and mediation rules so that you can easily configure your rules using lots of smart completion in your IDE which is then refactoring safe and does not require XML configuration files. Apache Camel also uses generics, annotations and URIs aso that it can easily work directly with any kind of Transport or messaging model such as HTTP, JMS, JBI, SCA, MINA or CXF Bus API without mandating a normalized message API which can often lead to leaky abstractions.
So don't get the hump, try Camel today!