Some "big names" that I have worked for that use Perl for "serious project"s:

• Motorla - every single non-RF test that is run on the software that runs its CDMA base stations is through an application I worked on. Pure Perl. (Was client-server, OO, extensible on-the-fly, has its own macro language, etc.)
• Verizon Wireless - an integration project of all of VZW's network and inventory information in its switches was done in pure Perl.
• Mastercard - one of its bread'n'butter reporting tools is in Perl/MySQL.

Are those names big enough for you?

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Don't go borrowing trouble. For programmers, this means Worry only about what you need to implement.