IBM and Cisco have announced a joint initiative aimed at delivering a network of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers, marking one of the most ambitious infrastructure plays yet in the quantum computing era.
The partnership sets out to link multiple quantum computers, each of which is large-scale and fault-tolerant, into a distributed network capable of far greater computational throughput than single machines.
IBM and Cisco are partnering to combine their strengths in quantum computing and networking. Their goal is to find ways to build large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers that go beyond IBM’s current plans.
They also aim to address key challenges in developing a quantum computing internet. In the next five years, IBM and Cisco will work to develop a proof-of-concept for a network that connects different large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
With this system, they could handle problems that require potentially trillions of quantum gates, which are essential for advanced quantum applications like solving complex optimisation problems or designing new materials and medicines.
Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and an IBM Fellow, stated, “Our plans at IBM include delivering large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers by the end of this decade. By partnering with Cisco, we will explore how to link multiple quantum computers into a distributed network, aiming to enhance the computational power of quantum technology. As we develop the future of computing, our vision will expand the possibilities of what quantum computers can achieve within a larger high-performance computing environment.”
Vijoy Pandey, GM/SVP at Outshift by Cisco, added, “Scaling quantum computing is not only about making bigger machines but also about connecting them effectively. Together, we are addressing this as a complete system challenge, which includes the hardware needed to connect quantum computers, the software to perform calculations across them, and the networking intelligence required for them to function efficiently.”
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