There’s so much focus on quantum computers in the market today. Specifically, on the hardware itself, from scaling qubits to error correction and noise reduction, from ions, to photons to substrates.
Hardware vendors are running fast to create the ultimate quantum computing architecture that will win the race for the fastest, most powerful quantum systems, to capture the Holy Grail of Quantum Advantage.
But, without quantum software, quantum computers are powerless. Software truly is the linchpin to quantum success.
So Where’s the Quantum Software?
Well, that’s another, and potentially bigger challenge.
Quantum software programming is as different from today’s programming as quantum hardware is from classical hardware. Yet quantum hardware vendors are approaching software development in the same manner as we’ve always approached it when new systems were released:
- Deliver a software development kit (SDK) to your users.
- Let them develop the first software applications and programs on your systems.
- Learn from this activity what they are going to want and need when it comes to software
- Then, vendors enter the market with ready-to-run applications so those without programming teams can have access to software that does what you need.
- Organizations with programming teams continue to use SDKs to create custom apps, or tune software applications to meet their needs.
It’s a time-proven approach. But it won’t work with quantum computing. Why?
Quantum programming has no overlap with classical programming. At all. Read that again.
The SDKs provided by the vendors require highly skilled quantum experts, mathematicians and physicists to even begin to attempt to bring together all of the quantum circuits, gates, algorithms, and more to create a program.
Even experts don’t always understand these SDKs. Which is why vendors have quantum experts on their teams to create the programs for the early adopters of quantum. And offer training on these SDKs for qualified experts to learn the arduous task of creating a single program.
This creates a very elite workforce that will be capable of leveraging the power of quantum computers. Very elite. And expensive. And hard to find.
Yes, there is training for these SDKs. But even experts often have trouble understanding the nuances of the diverse SDKs. And btw, SDK’s require your experts to do low level coding to use specific quantum hardware.
Think back to assembly language to connect devices. Now multiply the complexity significantly. Aside from being complex, you also have to update that low level code every time you expand your quantum system, or upgrade it.
Now think about the maintenance this will require as innovations in quantum systems accelerate geometrically, and you have to keep up or lose the advantage you have created with quantum. .
Next, imagine your subject matter experts, aka your operations experts, your clinical trial or molecular research experts trying to explain to these experts the goals, computations and requirements to optimize your business, increase your success rates or discover new drugs.
That’s not an easy or quick path for software that is truly the linchpin to your success with quantum computing. Nor is it low risk, for anyone.
Is There a Better Option?
The answer is yes.
Ready-to-run quantum software that empowers your subject matter experts to access quantum power:
- Software that is vendor neutral, enabling you to test and measure different types of quantum processors. To define which type is the best fit for your specific processing needs.
- Software that doesn’t have to be updated every time that processor is updated or changed, giving you the ability to easily embrace the latest and greatest hardware innovations.
- Software that empowers your SMEs to access a hybrid architecture of quantum and classical systems, blended to leverage the power of quantum in conjunction with your classical systems to get better results, deeper insights and make better business decisions.
- Software that gives you all of this without having to invest in hiring and retaining a highly specificialized team, just for the care and feeding of your quantum software programs.
That’s why QCi was formed. To deliver just the linchpin to quantum computing to every organization. To put the power in the hands of today’s retail, manufacturing, energy, pharmaceutical, cybersecurity, banking, and governments. Not just the select quantum experts. That’s just what Qatalyst does for each and every organization.
The Bottom Line:
Quantum computing has vast potential. It’s also a new, complex paradigm that organizations need to plan for as part of their near-term computational infrastructure.
The types of problems quantum can tackle range from route optimization for the proverbial traveling salesperson (long considered an intractable challenge) to supply chain management, logistics, drug discovery, machine learning, and more.
Along with advances in quantum computing, new use cases are being identified every day.
But without access to quantum software that enterprises and non-quantum experts can program and or use, quantum power won’t be available equally.
That’s why our focus is on democratizing access to quantum computers. Our goal is that every organization has the quantum computational software they need, ready-to-run, no quantum expertise required.
Because a linchpin should be readily available to all, not just the select few.
