The world’s top quantum researchers, investors, and government officials gathered in D.C. for the third annual Quantum World Congress last week, and, even though we’re still years away from a practical quantum computer, the mood was upbeat, with significant new announcements in the areas of quantum computing, quantum networking, and investment.
IBM, Microsoft and Boeing all had big announcements to make, with some indications that the industry may be entering a new phase of development. (Read more about Boeing’s plans to launch a satellite to facilitate quantum communications.)
Quantum computing breakthroughs
For most of quantum computing’s history, virtually all the research has focused on developing the underlying hardware, says Jay Gambetta, vice president in charge of IBM’s quantum initiative. But the software side is even more important when it comes to actual enterprise applications, and, this morning, IBM announced what amounts to a kind of app store for quantum software.
