The Java Message Service is a Java API that allows applications to create, send, receive, and read messages. The JMS API minimizes the set of concepts a programmer must learn in order to use messaging products but provides enough features to support sophisticated messaging applications.

The JMS API enables communication that is not only loosely coupled but also:
• Asynchronous: A JMS provider can deliver messages to a client as they arrive; a client does not have to request messages in order to receive them.
• Reliable: The JMS API can ensure that a message is delivered once and only once. Lower levels of reliability are available for applications that can afford to miss messages or to receive duplicate messages.