The quantum sector faces a perfect storm of depressed tech markets, lengthening timelines to revenue and unwinding hype. The sector’s long-term potential remains unbound, but startups, investors and governments face a period of challenge. With challenge comes opportunity.
IBM continues to lead the quantum cloud, but faces real competition to service early quantum applications. Building the future of this market still looks like a long game. It may be more important to pick a partner with the right strategy than just to compare today’s product features.
In contrast to the hype, the early applications of quantum computers look modest. But they do exist. The talented teams developing quantum algorithms still have a fight on their hands to bring forward the date of true broad quantum advantage. What might be achieved and when?
Since the birth of modern computing, progress has been supported by the evolution of an evermore sophisticated layered approach to software. A wide variety of majors and startups are vying to secure their place in the quantum software sector. To understand their plans we have to ask both what is similar and what is different…
To understand the ambitious roadmaps of quantum hardware players we have to start by understand the contrasting advantages and challenges of each of their technology platforms. As we seek to scale up these solutions, the specific flavour of the technology being employed becomes increasingly important. This overview is taken from a presentation originally delivered at…
Despite strong progress, demonstrating actual quantum advantage with early devices is still an elusive challenge. Expert opinion differs markedly on where and when initial value will come. Future large scale machines look great, but the overheads look daunting. With current error correction methods even a one million physical qubit machine may only be a modest…
China’s quantum supremacy demonstration may grab headlines, but not yet leadership in the quantum computing race. Leading hardware groups have firmed-up their development roadmaps for the marathon ahead and error correction has become a key part of the story. The challenge of scaling-up remains pre-eminent. A growing number of quantum majors, startups and institutes are…
2019 saw Google finally demonstrate quantum supremacy. Competitors such as IBM reminded us that this was just an opening skirmish in what will be a long campaign. In 2020 we will see paths divide as competing companies and technologies face-up to the quantum chasm blocking the way to large scale quantum computers. The hard road…
Contrary to many reports there are set to be immediate applications even for early devices. Some will be controversial. However in other areas timelines look over-hyped. 2020 will be a key year to prove the naysayers wrong. Will clients see early value? Despite all the fuss, quantum processors actually run more slowly than conventional processors.…
The advantages a quantum computer can offer depend on the quantum algorithms it can run and also how easily we can get data in and out of the system. Today’s hardware is still well short of the universal quantum dream and, in truth, the most often discussed benefits are still many years away. However the…