Before I start I will mention a few things...
I've been using Apache Camel since version 1.5.4 on R&D and production-grade systems in the Defense and Aerospace industry. I've also have experience using other Apache products such as Karaf, ServiceMix, ActiveMQ, and many other Enterprise Java projects such as Maven, Spring, JPA, the list goes on.... Only until recently I began using IBM products in a large IT organization. (e.g. Integration Bus v9, IBM MQ). Thus, my experience on IBM products is still fairly new. So you can say that I have a lot of background in Enterprise Java Development in the open source area and less background in IBM's product suite. So my comparison will be coming from the background of a Java developer.
I have also been to many Apache Camel conferences and training. I have also been in IB9 training and also attend IBM developer conferences as well. So there will be detailed thoughts on things like support, training and documentation.
Needless to say this blog series will provide a very detailed comparison of Camel and IB9, occasionally including other projects (mentioned above). Since I am fan of open source and Java development I will try to be as un-biased as possible, however, I will often share my likes/dislikes about each.
Before I begin let me be clear that this blog series is meant to provide:
- A detailed comparison of the features in IB9 and Camel, including related projects such as IBM MQ, Open Source Products (e.g. ServiceMix, ActiveMQ, Spring, JPA, etc..).
- My thoughts and subjective opinions on things I like and dislike about each product. Hopefully this will be un-biased.
And I want to be crystal clear that it is NOT meant to provide:
- A guide which you should base your decision when choosing Camel or IB9. It is recommended you evaluate both products yourself.
- A recommendation or conclusion on which product is better. Both have pros and cons.
- A flame war between the two products. IBM does a great job in many of its products, as does Apache Camel community.
I hope to make a blog post at least once a month, so stay tuned...