The technology often used for real-time data processing in streaming applications is Apache Kafka. Kafka is a distributed event streaming platform that allows for high-throughput, fault-tolerant data streaming. It enables the handling of large volumes of data in real time, making it suitable for applications such as log aggregation, stream processing, and event sourcing. By providing the capability to publish and subscribe to streams of records, Kafka supports scalable data pipelines and is widely adopted in industries that require instant data analysis and responsiveness to changing conditions.