Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), a leading global Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) company, and Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world’s digital infrastructure company, today announced that OQC will make one of the most powerful quantum computers available commercially to businesses in Ireland via Equinix’s TY11 Tokyo International Business Exchange (IBX®) data centre.
OQC is installing its quantum hardware in TY11 and plans to leverage Equinix’s on-demand interconnection solution, Equinix Fabric®, to make its Quantum Computing as a Service available to businesses and organisations around the world, including Ireland, on Equinix’s global platform in late 2023.
Once connected to Equinix Fabric, businesses will benefit from the ease of access to quantum computing as if it is on-premises, meaning that they can trial and experiment with the ground-breaking technology by directly connecting to QCaaS within their own digital infrastructure with greater security and ease.
It is expected there will be growing demand from organisations, with the technology set to support a wide range of sectors, from drug discovery and development to risk management, banking and advanced manufacturing.
Peter Lantry, Managing Director for Equinix in Ireland, spoke of the benefits to Irish businesses: “Quantum computing is set to be a transformational revolution in processing speed and power for businesses, and there is already an exciting ecosystem building around it in Ireland. The country has been investing in quantum computing research and experimentation and this will open the technology and the great potential it holds to a much wider audience. Quantum computers can solve certain highly complex computational problems in a matter of minutes, when even the most powerful supercomputers would take thousands of years to solve the same problem. This cutting-edge technology will create unique opportunities for Irish companies in all areas as it can better optimise investment strategies, improve data encryption or even assist in the discovery of new products in areas like MedTech and pharmaceuticals, where Ireland is already a world leader. As the country continues to grow its digital economy, we are very proud to be at the forefront of enabling that growth.”
Commenting on the news, Dr. Ilana Wisby, CEO at OQC, said: “The world has been waiting for quantum computing to mature to the point that it can change our lives. Installing quantum computing in Equinix’s world-class TY11 data centre brings us a step closer to this reality.
Quantum computing represents a major shift in terms of technology and process. Unlike traditional classical computers, quantum computers can crunch vast amounts of data at incredible speeds. We are excited to work with Equinix to help businesses around the world to build their quantum skillset and capabilities. The future is here, and we are setting the pace for the era of quantum computing.”
Andrew Buss, Senior Research Director, Europe: Future of Digital Infrastructure, IDC points to recent research IDC carried out: “For data-driven businesses, the ability to differentiate and remain competitive comes down to delivering meaningful insights on ever-more complex scenarios and in tighter timespans. This is driving them to invest in cutting-edge technologies, such as quantum computing, that have the potential to revolutionise key data-to-insights functions. IDC predicts that by 2026, 95% of companies will invest in compute technologies that deliver faster insights from complex data sets to drive differentiated business outcomes. Making quantum computing available ‘as-a-Service’ on a globally interconnected digital infrastructure should significantly reduce barriers to experimentation and adoption such as cost, skills, and the complexity of integration—and open up quantum technology to many more organisations to test and use.”
Arun Dev, Global Head of Digital Interconnection at Equinix, highlights the benefits and importance of Equinix Fabric for customers such as OQC wanting to expand their connectivity opportunities: “Quantum computing has the potential to transform the way businesses solve problems both now and into the future, especially as our customers look for more innovative solutions. As the world’s digital infrastructure company, we are proud to enable easier, secure, high-bandwidth access to this pioneering technology to thousands of businesses around the world. Welcoming OQC’s quantum computer to our global interconnection ecosystem on Platform Equinix underpins our commitment to supporting innovation. We are looking forward to working together to solve some of the key digital challenges organisations face today.”
