The quantum computing train keeps on rolling.
A year after IBM showed off a 50-qubit quantum computer prototype at CES, the company has returned to the annual electronics show in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a grand announcement. Namely, that it now has a "quantum computing system" ready for commercial use.
According to a Jan. 8 press release, the system — dubbed the IBM Q System One — takes quantum computing from the confines of the research lab into the real world. And just what does that mean, exactly? Well, that businesses will be able to pay to use it for commercial applications.
We reached out to IBM with a host of questions regarding the Q System — like whether IBM intends to make more than one of these systems, and what the pricing structure will be for commercial use — and Dr. Bob Sutor, the VP of IBM Q Strategy and Ecosystem, was kind enough to get back to us.
Sadly, he wouldn't comment on the specifics of the cost of using one of these bad boys, but he did tell us a lot of fascinating details. Like, for example, that the Q System One uses a fourth-generation 20-qubit processor, and that a "50-qubit device will be available to the IBM Q Network later this year."
He also mentioned some real, practical applications of the system. "The IBM Q System One gets us closer to practical applications in chemistry and the development of new medicines, and new materials," wrote Sutor. "For example, one of our new partners in the IBM Q Network, ExxonMobil, is exploring more predictive environmental and highly accurate quantum chemistry calculations to enable the discovery of new materials for more efficient carbon capture."
Sounds fun!
The aforementioned press release, meanwhile, provides some clues as to the Q System's potential future uses.
"IBM Q systems are designed to one day tackle problems that are currently seen as too complex and exponential in nature for classical systems to handle," notes the release. "Future applications of quantum computing may include finding new ways to model financial data and isolating key global risk factors to make better investments, or finding the optimal path across global systems for ultra-efficient logistics and optimizing fleet operations for deliveries."
But that's in the future. In the more immediate reality of 2019, IBM still has something in the works. The company intends to open a commercial center for quantum computing clients this year in Poughkeepsie, New York.
In the meantime, a replica of the system is on display for 2019 CES conference attendees.
Start saving up those pennies, and you too could one day have access to a quantum computer. Just use it wisely, please. We beg you.
UPDATE: Jan. 8, 2019, 12:41 p.m. PST: This story has been updated to include comment from Dr. Bob Sutor, the VP of IBM Q Strategy and Ecosystem.
