Nov. 5, 2019 — IonQ, the leader in universal quantum computing, today announced the creation of Azure Quantum, in partnership with Microsoft at the annual Ignite conference. Azure Quantum is a full-stack, open cloud ecosystem that will make IonQ’s quantum computers, based on trapped ions, commercially available via the cloud, allowing users to leverage IonQ’s unique approach to quantum computing.

IonQ’s unique approach to quantum computing is to start with nature: using individual atoms as the heart of our quantum processing units. Leveraging this approach, IonQ has shown the capability to solve complex problems with greater accuracy. This partnership will enable Microsoft Azure Quantum customers to run their own calculations on the world’s most accurate quantum computer, using existing Microsoft tools such as Q#, QDK and Visual Studio. This partnership allows IonQ to focus on quantum hardware and to take advantage of Microsoft’s continued innovation in quantum software tools.

“We’re excited to see Azure Quantum customers run their programs on IonQ quantum computers for the first time,” said Peter Chapman, CEO of IonQ. “We’ve seen a ton of excitement from all corners about our ion-based approach, and are thrilled to expand access to our quantum capabilities through Microsoft’s network.”

“IonQ brings a unique approach to quantum computing with tremendous potential,” said Krysta Svore, General Manager of Quantum Systems at Microsoft. “This partnership brings world-class quantum computing capabilities to Azure Quantum, and we’re excited to continue working together to realize the full benefits of quantum computers.”

IonQ’s trapped-ion approach offers the most promise for making reliable, scalable quantum computing a reality. Recently, the company announced a further $55M in funding from Samsung Electronics, Mubadala Capital, GV, Amazon, and NEA, and built the largest programmable quantum computer to date, demonstrating performance benchmarks that no other quantum computer has been able to match.

About IonQ 

We believe useful quantum computers will look as different from the laptops and smartphones we use every day as classical computers appear next to an abacus. And we believe the best way to build a quantum computer is by starting with nature’s qubit: the atom. Accurate, powerful, and flexible, ionized atoms are the heart of our quantum systems.

After decades of research, IonQ was founded in 2015 by Chris Monroe and Jungsang Kim with $2 million in seed funding from New Enterprise Associates, a license to core technology from the University of Maryland and Duke University, and the goal of taking trapped ion quantum computing out of the lab and into the market. The next year, we raised an additional $20 million from GV, Amazon Web Services, and NEA, and built two of the world’s most accurate quantum computers.

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Source: IonQ