The Importance of IBM’s Expanded Quantum Roadmap – Datamation

IBMs recently expanded its Quantum Roadmap. Its important, because it shows that if you arent developing quantum programming skills now, youre already behind.

Up until now, most of us were still thinking that we had around a decade before wed need to be competent in this space to remain competitive, but this roadmap suggests the need for these skills may be necessary as early as 2025. Building competence in a revolutionary technology that has little in common with existing computing concepts is going to take considerable training.

Lets cover the state of the market according to IBM and why you are increasingly exposed if you arent spinning up a core team skilled in quantum computing, as a hedge against its premature emergence tomorrow.

IBMs goals for 2022 are aggressive against the old timeline but right in line with the new one. They include:

Of these goals the most interesting to me is the creation of dynamic circuits. Dynamic circuits provide the bi-directional feedback of quantum measurements, which are used to direct the course of future operations. These dynamic circuits are critical to the flexibility of quantum computing and its ability to adapt to existing and future related workloads. These circuits extend into the hardware and are core to the future capability of quantum computing.

Second, of course, is the increase in quantum volume, which speaks to the capability and viability of quantum computing, and IBM and is on the critical path to quantum leadership when quantum computing finally rises to meet, and likely exceed, its expectations.

One very interesting part of this announcement is the emergence of quantum-centric computing. This is much like a supercharger or turbocharger on an engine but with a massively greater potential performance boost to existing high performance computing (HPC) and supercomputer platforms. This anticipates the creation of QPUs that will work in conjunction with CPUs and GPUs to create a level of performance unparalleled in modern times.

Focused on solving the worlds toughest problems, this new class of computers will be critical to both addressing current large-scale problems, like climate change, and future existential problems to humanity.

This wont be easy. IBM is effectively rewriting the rules surrounding the entire computing market, using quantum computing as the change agent. If successful, it could turn IBM into a powerhouse.

IBM is one of a handful of companies leading the charge to quantum-centric computing.

It has worked aggressively to develop, in parallel, both the technology and training necessary to advance this technology into the market and move it into the mainstream of computing. If successful, IBM will help pivot the market to this new, vastly higher performing technology. If the industry as a whole isnt ready for it, itll quickly fall behind.

Areas like classification and compliance at scale as well as the ability of governments to catch companies that arent compliant will increase dramatically, customer analysis will become more accurate, and predictive algorithms will become more accurate as well.

Companies that can deploy this technology once its ready will have a significant competitive advantage over those that cant. The time is now to spin up quantum computing expertise, so you know when and how to use this technology effectively when it becomes available.

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The Importance of IBM's Expanded Quantum Roadmap - Datamation