Solving valuable problems with quantum technology
Many businesses would leap at the chance to go back in time to capitalize early on yesterday’s game-changing technologies, such as the internet. The chance to get ahead of the competition is here again with quantum computing. The technology is maturing, and now is the time to build your quantum skills and understand quantum’s immense potential for addressing computationally intensive problems.
In the era of quantum computing, system performance will be key in achieving full quantum potential and scale—when we can definitively demonstrate, in certain use cases, a significant performance advantage over classical computers. Specifically, when a quantum computation is either hundreds or thousands of times faster, needs a smaller fraction of the memory, or makes something seemingly impossible possible.
Quantum computers could soon solve valuable problems that have long challenged classical supercomputers. Governments and industry leaders worldwide are already exploring potential use cases in healthcare, materials science, machine learning, and more. Organizations that dive in now and become quantum ready will have a distinct advantage as these technologies evolve.
Quantum readiness
The Quantum Nexus team helps your company get involved in the benefits of a quantum computer in an organized, timely and efficient manner.
Quantum readiness is a continuously evolving measure of organizational proficiency in quantum computing strategy, technology and operations. It characterizes the company’s progressive capabilities to leverage quantum technology to disrupt industries, create competitive advantage, and respond to threats from quantum-savvy competitors.
- Strategy
- Ability to convert quantum market information into actionable insights on opportunities and threats.
- Proficiency to capture business value from quantum-triggered strategies, capabilities, and innovation initiatives.
- Expertise to secure and protect Intellectual Property (IP) for quantum technologies.
- Influence of regulations and standards related to the intended use of quantum computing.
- Technology
- DevSecOps framework to build, test, deploy, and update quantum applications.
- AI and other advanced computational model maturity for supporting quantum addressable workflows.
- Hybrid cloud architecture that enables orchestration and interoperation of quantum-classical workloads.
- Operations
- Governance and oversight to ensure the successful execution of the quantum roadmap.
- Talent strategy and culture to build a high-performing team with quantum fluency.
- Innovation process that creates quantum-enabled solutions that meet business needs.
- Agile practices that result in high velocity of R & D and iterative solution design.
What makes for a good quantum use case?
A good use case is one that is expected to be of strategic importance to the business and that can be explored with available Qiskit routines — while also offering the flexibility to experiment as quantum technology advances. A risky or poor choice for a use case is one that requires a certain level of performance or relies on nascent academic theories to generate solutions that address a mission-critical or peripheral business problem.
Take a moment to reflect on the industry applications of quantum computing in the previous module and think of your own business problems. Click on the triangles below to reveal factors that affect the potential for quantum computing to deliver business value. Consider these as you evaluate your business use case.
- Good choice
- Rely on available routines in the Qiskit library and training.
- Are based on a problem that can be scaled down to a practical size.
- Are based on a problem where scalability improves the result.
- Anticipate a solution that would be disruptive or differentiating.
- Could be explored with a near-term classical-quantum hybrid approach.
- Risky choice
- Experiment with untested ideas in research publications.
- Require careful selection of variables to get a useful result.
- Are based on a problem that is not expected to grow or get more complex.
- Are based on a problem that relates to a mission-critical part of the business.
- Require quantum fault tolerance to achieve a result.
- Poor choice
- Invent or re-design a quantum algorithm.
- Require the use of large volumes of data for inputs or processing.
- Require a specific level of performance to obtain a solution.
- Do not address a core part of the business.
- Do not have a classical alternative as a fail-safe or interim solution.
Source: IBM Educational Material