IBM Outlines its Quantum Computing Roadmap

Quantum computing has a relatively recent history since it was theorized in the 80s. It stands for the application of quantum theory, describing the interactions between elements at the scale of the infinitely small (i.e. how atoms and other smaller particles interact with each other), applied to the field of computer science. Therefore, quantum computing is the use of quantum-scale particles (atoms, electrons, and photons) to improve the performance of our computing hardware.

The application areas of quantum computing are as varied as cryptography, metrology, optimization, cybersecurity, simulation, data analysis, artificial intelligence, drug development, financial modeling, better batteries, cleaner fertilization, traffic optimization, weather forecasting and solar capture

To bring quantum computing to a wider audience, Cloud computing is indeed how most quantum resources will be consumed. Using the same approach, IBM's roadmap is part of a larger mission to design a complete quantum computer deployed via the cloud that anyone in the world can operate.