Merge pull request #26 from OpenIntegrationEngine/feature/#10-Readme-Refresh

#10 Readme Refresh

Author: gibson9583

README.md

@@ -1,103 +1,123 @@
-# Mirth® Connect by NextGen Healthcare
+# Open Integration Engine
 
-1. [Useful Links](#useful-links)
-2. [General Information](#general-information)
-3. [Installation and Upgrade](#installation-and-upgrade)
-4. [Starting Mirth Connect](#starting-mirth-connect)
-5. [Running Mirth Connect in Java 9 or greater](#java9)
-6. [Java Licensing](#java-licensing)
-7. [License](#license)
+[![Website](https://img.shields.io/badge/website-openintegration.org-blue)](https://openintegration.org)
+[![Discord](https://img.shields.io/discord/943670759891554316?label=Join%20our%20Discord&logo=discord&style=flat)](https://discord.gg/azdehW2Zrx)
+[![Docker](https://img.shields.io/badge/docker-openintegrationengine-blue?logo=docker&style=flat)](https://hub.docker.com/u/openintegrationengine)
+[![LinkedIn](https://img.shields.io/badge/linkedin-follow-blue?logo=linkedin&style=flat)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-integration-engine)
 
-------------
+---
+## Table of Contents
 
-<a name="useful-links"></a>
-## 1. Useful Links
-- [Downloads](https://github.com/nextgenhealthcare/connect/releases) 
-- [User Guide](https://docs.nextgen.com/)
-- [Wiki](https://github.com/nextgenhealthcare/connect/wiki)
-  - [FAQ](https://github.com/nextgenhealthcare/connect/wiki/Frequently-Asked-Questions)
-  - [What's New in Mirth Connect](https://github.com/nextgenhealthcare/connect/wiki/Release-Notes)
-- [Forums](https://forums.mirthproject.io/)
-- [Slack Channel](https://mirthconnect.slack.com/) 
-  - [Slack Registration](https://join.slack.com/t/mirthconnect/shared_invite/zt-1prqon9tg-UQ_~6AsV8IwdITTo3z1aoA)
+- [Mission Statement](#mission-statement)
+- [Overview](#overview)
+- [Why Open Integration Engine?](#why-open-integration-engine)
+- [Core Features](#core-features)
+- [Who It’s For](#who-its-for)
+- [Project Values](#project-values)
+- [Community and Governance](#community-and-governance)
+- [History and Roadmap](#history-and-roadmap)
+- [Licensing](#licensing)
+- [Acknowledgments](#acknowledgments)
 
-------------
+---
+## Mission Statement
 
-<a name="general-information"></a>
-## 2. General Information
-##### The NextGen Solutions Mission
-NextGen Solutions help many of the nation&apos;s largest, most respected healthcare entities streamline their care-management processes to satisfy the demands of a regulatory, competitive healthcare industry. With Mirth Solutions, NextGen Healthcare&apos;s goal is to provide the healthcare community with a secure, efficient, cost-effective means of sharing health information. The natural product of this aim is a family of applications &mdash; which includes Mirth Connect &mdash; flexible enough to manage patient information, from small practices to large HIEs, so our clients and users can work confidently and effectively within the healthcare-delivery system.
-##### About Mirth Connect
-Like an interpreter who translates foreign languages into the one you understand, Mirth Connect translates message standards into the one your system understands. Whenever a &quot;foreign&quot; system sends you a message, Mirth Connect&apos;s integration capabilities expedite the following:
-- Filtering &mdash; Mirth Connect reads message parameters and passes the message to or stops it on its way to the transformation stage.
-- Transformation &mdash; Mirth Connect converts the incoming message standard to another standard (e.g., HL7 to XML).
-- Extraction &mdash; Mirth Connect can &quot;pull&quot; data from and &quot;push&quot; data to a database.
-- Routing &mdash; Mirth Connect makes sure messages arrive at their assigned destinations.
+To empower seamless healthcare interoperability through an open, community-driven integration engine that is accessible, extensible, and standards-based.
 
-Users manage and develop channels (message pathways) using the interface known as the Administrator:
-![Administrator screenshot](https://i.imgur.com/tnoAENw.png)
+---
 
-------------
+## Overview
 
-<a name="installation-and-upgrade"></a>
-## 3. Installation and Upgrade
-Mirth Connect installers are available for individual operating systems (.exe for Windows, .rpm and .sh for Linux, and .dmg for Mac OS X). Pre-packaged distributions are also available for individual operating systems (ZIP for Windows, tar.gz for Linux, and tar.gz for Mac OS X). The installer allows you to automatically upgrade previous Mirth Connect installations (starting with version 1.5).
+The **Open Integration Engine Project** is an open-source initiative committed to advancing healthcare interoperability. Building upon the foundation of **Mirth Connect**, a widely adopted integration engine, this project aims to provide healthcare organizations with a robust, flexible, and cost-effective solution for connecting disparate systems and facilitating efficient data exchange.
 
-Mirth Connect installers also come with the option to install and start a service that will run in the background. You also have the option of installing and running the Mirth Connect Server Manager, which allows you to start and stop the service on some operating systems, change Mirth Connect properties and backend database settings, and view the server logs.
+---
 
-An optional Mirth Connect Command Line Interface can be installed, allowing you to connect to a running Mirth Connect Server using a command line. This tool is useful for performing or scripting server tasks without opening the Mirth Connect Administrator.
+## Why Open Integration Engine?
 
-The Mirth Connect Administrator Launcher can also be installed, allowing you to manage connections to multiple Mirth Connect servers and configure options such as Java runtime, max heap size, and security protocols.
+- **Open Source Advantage**  
+  Transparency, innovation, and collaborative development within the healthcare IT community.
 
-After the installation, the Mirth Connect directory layout will look as follows:
+- **Healthcare-Focused**  
+  Designed to address the unique challenges of healthcare data integration, supporting standards such as HL7, FHIR, and DICOM.
 
-- /appdata/mirthdb: The embedded database (Do NOT delete if you specify Derby as your database). This will be created when the Mirth Connect Server is started. The path for appdata is defined by the dir.appdata property in mirth.properties.
-- /cli-lib: Libraries for the Mirth Connect Command Line Interface (if installed)
-- /client-lib: Libraries for the Mirth Connect Administrator
-- /conf: Configuration files
-- /custom-lib: Place your custom user libraries here to be used by the default library resource.
-- /docs: This document and a copy of the Mirth Connect license
-- /docs/javadocs: Generated javadocs for the installed version of Mirth Connect. These documents are also available when the server is running at `http://[server address]:8080/javadocs/` (i.e. `http://localhost:8080/javadocs/`).
-- /extensions: Libraries and meta data for Plug-ins and Connectors
-- /logs: Default location for logs generated by Mirth Connect and its sub-components
-- /manager-lib: Libraries for the Mirth Connect Server Manager (if installed)
-- /public_html: Directory exposed by the embedded web server
-- /server-launcher-lib: Libraries in this directory will be loaded into the main Mirth Connect Server thread context classloader upon startup. This is required if you are using any custom log4j appender libraries.
-- /server-lib: Mirth Connect server libraries
-- /webapps: Directory exposed by the embedded web server to host webapps
+- **Extensible and Customizable**  
+  Modular architecture for customization and expansion to meet evolving needs.
 
-------------
+---
 
-<a name="starting-mirth-connect"></a>
-## 4. Starting Mirth Connect
-Once Mirth Connect has been installed, there are several ways to connect to launch the Mirth Connect Administrator. On a Windows installation, there is a Mirth Connect Administrator item in the Start Menu which launches the application directly.
+## Core Features
 
-If the option is not available, you can connect to the Mirth Connect Administrator launch page which by default should be available at `http://[server address]:8080` (i.e. `http://localhost:8080`). It is recommended to use the Administrator Launcher to start the Administrator, which can be downloaded by clicking on the Download Administrator Launcher button. Clicking the Launch Mirth Connect Administrator button will download the Java Web Start file for your server. Opening the file with the Administrator Launcher connects you to the server, which will be listening on `https://[server address]:8443` (i.e. `https://localhost:8443`). 
+- **Data Transformation and Mapping**  
+  Convert between HL7, JSON, XML, and other formats to ensure cross-system compatibility.
 
-If running a new installation, the default username and password for the login screen is admin and admin. This should be changed immediately for security purposes.
+- **Message Routing and Filtering**  
+  Route messages using flexible, rules-based logic to streamline workflows.
 
-If you are launching the administrator for the first time, you will notice that the libraries for the Mirth Connect Administrator will be loaded. This feature allows you run the Administrator from any remote Mirth Connect server without having to download and install a separate client.
+- **Custom Scripting and Connectors**  
+  JavaScript-based scripting and support for protocols like HTTP/S, FTP, and database connectivity.
 
-You may also notice a security warning when starting the administrator (dialog box depends on browser being used). This is because by default Mirth Connect creates a self-signed certificate for its web server. For now click Run to continue launching the administrator, but check out the User Guide for instructions on how to replace the certificate.
+- **Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts**  
+  Visual tools for tracking message flow, performance metrics, and setting up alerts.
 
-------------
+---
 
-<a name="java9"></a>
-## 5. Running Mirth Connect in Java 9 or greater
-In order to run Mirth Connect in Java 9 or greater, copy the options from `docs/mcservice-java9+.vmoptions` and append them to either mcserver.vmoptions or mcservice.vmoptions, depending on your deployment. Then restart Mirth Connect.
+## Who It’s For
 
-To run the Mirth Connect Command Line Interface, create a new file named mccommand.vmoptions in the Mirth Connect root directory. Copy all of the options from `docs/mcservice-java9+.vmoptions` into mccommand.vmoptions and save before launching the Command Line Interface.
+- **Integration Engineers** – Looking for a flexible, open platform for managing interfaces  
+- **Health IT Teams** – Connecting EHRs, LIS, RIS, and other healthcare systems  
+- **EHR Vendors** – Enhancing interoperability within their products  
+- **Researchers** – Requiring reliable, standards-based integration tools
 
-------------
+---
 
-<a name="java-licensing"></a>
-## 6. Java Licensing
-In 2019, Oracle significantly changed licensing for official Oracle Java releases. You must now purchase a license in order to receive updates to the commercial version of Oracle Java. In response to this change, we officially added support for OpenJDK in Mirth Connect. OpenJDK receives free updates from Oracle for a period of 6 months following each release. While the Oracle OpenJDK distribution is recommended for use with Mirth Connect, we strive to support third-party OpenJDK distributions as well such as AdoptOpenJDK, Azul Zulu and Amazon Corretto. Third party distributions may receive extended release updates from their respective communities, but these are not guaranteed.
+## Project Values
 
-------------
+- **Community-Driven Development** – Innovation through global collaboration  
+- **Vendor Neutrality** – Free from proprietary constraints  
+- **Security and Compliance** – HIPAA/GDPR-compliant architecture
 
-<a name="license"></a>
-## 7. License
-Mirth Connect is released under the [Mozilla Public License version 2.0](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/MPL/2.0/ "Mozilla Public License version 2.0"). You can find a copy of the license in `server/docs/LICENSE.txt`.
+---
 
-All licensing information regarding third-party libraries is located in the `server/docs/thirdparty` folder.
+## Community and Governance
+
+Engage with the community and project through:
+
+- 🌐 **Website**: [openintegration.org](https://openintegration.org)  
+- 💬 **Discord**: [Join our server](https://discord.gg/azdehW2Zrx)  
+- 📂 **GitHub Repo**: [github.com/OpenIntegrationEngine/engine](https://github.com/OpenIntegrationEngine/engine)  
+- 📥 **Releases**: [Latest Releases](https://github.com/OpenIntegrationEngine/engine/releases)  
+- 🗳️ **Governance**: [Governance Docs](https://github.com/OpenIntegrationEngine/governance)  
+- 🐳 **Docker Hub**: [OpenIntegrationEngine on Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/u/openintegrationengine)
+- 🔗 **LinkedIn**: [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-integration-engine)
+
+Governance is structured to be transparent and inclusive, with decisions made collectively to reflect the community’s best interests.
+
+---
+
+## History and Roadmap
+
+Forked from **Mirth Connect** following its shift to a proprietary model, this project continues the legacy of open healthcare integration.
+
+### Roadmap
+
+**Short-Term Goals**
+- Stabilize codebase  
+- Improve documentation  
+- Expand community involvement
+
+**Long-Term Vision**
+- Support new healthcare standards  
+- Enhance UX/UI  
+- Grow plugin ecosystem
+
+---
+
+## Licensing
+
+Licensed under the **Mozilla Public License 2.0** (MPL 2.0). See [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for details.
+
+---
+
+## Acknowledgments
+
+Special thanks to the original **Mirth Connect** team and the broader open-source healthcare integration community.