QUANTUM COMPUTING

Infosys, a prominent supplier of IT services and products to enterprises, said it will explore the use of Amazon's Cobalt 'quantum computing' platform to build quantum computing applications for clients. Quantum computing refers to the use of non-binary technologies to carry out computations. Traditional computers carry out all computations by reducing all data into a series of 1s and 0s. In other words, a 'bit' of information can either be a 0 or a 1, and nothing else. Quantum computing expands this possibility in that the basic unit can be in one of several states, not just two. Because of this, the throughput and power of computing increases manifold. Such computers are currently limited to research labs, such as those of Google, IBM, Amazon and military facilities of countries like the US, China and Russia, and are not manufactured or supplied on a commercial basis yet. However, it is believed that quantum computers will enter commercial usage -- first starting with enterprise applications -- over the next five years or so. While companies like Amazon, IBM and Google are interested in leveraging the technology to reduce their hardware and energy requirements and increase the power of their offerings, companies like Infosys are interested in writing software that can leverage quantum computing for their corporate and other clients. Amazon's Braket is a service that simulates quantum computing and can help researchers and technicians get a feel for the technology and test it out. Infosys Center for Emerging Technology Solutions (iCETS), which focuses on the incubation of next generation services and offerings, is already using Amazon Braket to develop quantum computing use cases in vehicle route optimization, fraud detection, and more. Infosys is also exploring partnership opportunities with startups in the quantum computing space through the Infosys Innovation Network (IIN). "Infosys will look to build, test, and evaluate quantum applications on circuit simulators and quantum hardware technologies using Amazon Braket. This will enable researchers and developers to experiment and study complex computational problems as quantum technologies continue to evolve," the Bangalore-based Indian company said. "Enterprises will get access to use cases for rapid experimentation and can explore how quantum computing can potentially help them in the future in a variety of areas, assess new ideas and plan adoption strategies to drive innovation. The use of Amazon Braket by Infosys aims at getting businesses ready for a future where quantum computers will impact business," it added. The quantum computing solutions so developed will be integrated into, and offered as a part of, Infosys Cobalt -- the company's cloud service and solutions platform. Currently, Cobalt has over 200 industry solution blueprints. Infosys said it is exploring a variety of use cases for quantum computing for industries such as logistics, finance, energy, and telecom. Amazon said a number of businesses around the world are asking about the timeline and opportunities related to its quantum computing service, and tie-ups such as this one would help make everyone aware about the potential impact of quantum computing.