IBM Announces Collaborations to Accelerate Quantum Computing

IBM Announces Collaborations to Accelerate Quantum Computing
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IBM announced the first clients to tap into its IBM Q early-access commercial quantum computing systems to explore practical applications important to business and science. They include: JPMorgan Chase, Daimler AG, Samsung, JSR Corporation, Barclays, Hitachi Metals, Honda, Nagase, Keio University, Oak Ridge National Lab, Oxford University and University of Melbourne.

These 12 initial organizations join the newly formed IBM Q Network, a collaboration of leading Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions and national research labs working directly with IBM to advance quantum computing. The Q Network will also foster a growing quantum computing ecosystem based on IBM’s open source quantum software and developer tools.

The Network provides organizations with quantum expertise and resources, and cloud-based access to the most advanced and scalable universal quantum computing systems available, starting with a 20 qubit Q system. IBM also recently built and measured the first working 50 qubit prototype processor. The company anticipates that access to this prototype will be offered to Q Network participants in the next generation Q system.

Organizations will work directly with IBM scientists, engineers and consultants to pioneer quantum computing for specific industries and have direct cloud-based access to Q systems. Each of the Q Network Partners below will explore a broad set of potential applications of quantum computing in their industry that could provide a quantum advantage - demonstrations of real-world problems that may be solved faster or more efficiently with a quantum computer than with a classical computer.

Through the publicly available IBM Q Experience, over 60,000 users have run more than 1.7M quantum experiments and generated over 35 third-party research publications using the world’s first series of quantum computers available openly on the web. The Q Experience enables registered users to connect to IBM’s quantum processors via the IBM Cloud, to run algorithms and experiments, work with the individual quantum bits, and explore tutorials and simulations around what might be possible with quantum computing. Developers also have access to open quantum software development kit, QISKit, to create and run quantum computing programs.

The company is also introducing IBM Q Consulting, which brings together consultants, scientists and industry experts to help clients envision new business value through the application of quantum computing technology, and provide clients with customized roadmaps to help them become quantum ready. With access to cutting-edge mathematics and engineering, quantum consultants and developers are applying their expertise to complex business problems.  Q Consulting is focusing initially in logistics and modeling use cases in industries such as mining, banking, life sciences and electronics.