# Preface

What is Apache ActiveMQ Artemis?

- Apache ActiveMQ Artemis is an open source project to build a multi-protocol,
  embeddable, very high performance, clustered, asynchronous messaging
  system.

- Apache ActiveMQ Artemis is an example of Message Oriented Middleware (MoM). For a
  description of MoMs and other messaging concepts please see the [Messaging Concepts](messaging-concepts.md).

Why use Apache ActiveMQ Artemis? Here are just a few of the reasons:

- 100% open source software. Apache ActiveMQ Artemis is licensed using the Apache
  Software License v 2.0 to minimise barriers to adoption.

- Apache ActiveMQ Artemis is designed with usability in mind.

- Written in Java. Runs on any platform with a Java 8+ runtime, that's
  everything from Windows desktops to IBM mainframes.

- Amazing performance. Our ground-breaking high performance journal
  provides persistent messaging performance at rates normally seen for
  non-persistent messaging, our non-persistent messaging performance
  rocks the boat too.

- Full feature set. All the features you'd expect in any serious
  messaging system, and others you won't find anywhere else.

- Elegant, clean-cut design with minimal third party dependencies. Run
  ActiveMQ Artemis stand-alone, run it in integrated in your favourite Java EE
  application server, or run it embedded inside your own product. It's
  up to you.

- Seamless high availability. We provide a HA solution with automatic
  client failover so you can guarantee zero message loss or
  duplication in event of server failure.

- Hugely flexible clustering. Create clusters of servers that know how
  to load balance messages. Link geographically distributed clusters
  over unreliable connections to form a global network. Configure
  routing of messages in a highly flexible way.