Erlang is a general-purpose, concurrent, functional programming language with a focus on processes designed to run continuously in robust systems. It is used widely for critical systems that require uptime, scalability, and fault tolerance. Originally developed by Ericsson for telecommunications systems, its use has since expanded into other sectors such as finance, e-commerce, and computer telephony. Erlang's runtime system allows for hot swapping, where code can be changed without stopping a system. The language supports features such as real-time processing, distributed computing, and dynamic typing, making it well-suited for applications like instant messaging, e-commerce platforms, and database servers. Learn more about Erlang and how it can be harnessed for large-scale solutions at [http://erlang.com](http://erlang.com).