Much like when the first room-sized computers were initially turned on in the 1940s, quantum computers’ true potential is yet unknown and untapped. IBM Q is an industry-first initiative to build commercially available universal quantum computers.

While quantum is still in its infancy, experts at IBM continue to make significant progress across the entire quantum computing technology stack. These efforts include testing a prototype 50 qubit processor, delivering quantum computing through the cloud via the IBM Q experience, and launching QISKit an open source quantum software developer kit. The team is also exploring early use cases in collaboration with leading Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, and national research labs who have joined the IBM Q Network. More than 80,000 users ran more than 3 million experiments on IBM Q quantum devices, and more than 60 research publications have been written based on the technology, advancing the field of quantum computing.

Classical computers have enabled amazing things and become ubiquitous in our lives. There are, however, still problems they can't solve. These problems generally involve exponential scaling such as large-scale optimization or chemistry simulations. IBM Q devices are being built to work with classical computers to potentially solve these problems.

Quantum computers use qubits to calculate information in a fundamentally different way from classical machines. Classical computing is based on a system where the fundamental carriers of information, bits, can take on a value of either a 0 or 1. Unlike bits, qubits can exist in a superposition of 0 and 1, enabling them to store more information. Using microwave pulses, qubits are moved into superpositions as well as quantum entanglement. These two fundamental properties of quantum objects enable them to execute algorithms radically different from those on classical computers.

Quantum systems may untangle the complexity of molecular and chemical interactions leading to the discovery of new medicines and materials. They may enable ultra-efficient logistics and supply chains, or help us find new ways to model financial data and isolate global risk factors to make better investments. They may even make facets of AI such as machine learning more powerful.

Earned and owned media contributed to business outcomes:

• 82K+ users ran 3 million+ experiments on IBM Q quantum devices. 60+ research publications written based on the technology.

• July 2017 - March 2018 - IBM led competitive share of voice in social media and on-line news about quantum computing. Comparison conducted using Sysomos.

Earned Media:

• 700+ earned media stories about IBM Q quantum computing advancements in top publications from 20+ countries, including NYT, WSJ, CNBC, USA Today, Nikkei, BBC, and Financial Times.

• MIT Tech Review feature on the state of "serious" quantum computers; IBM Q in list of "Top 10" 2018 breakthroughs.

• Nature (influential science journal) cover story featured IBM Q research simulating the largest molecule by a quantum computer.

• The WSJ's Future of Everything podcast featured IBM Q scientists and tours of IBM Q labs for two-part quantum computing episode.

• Bloomberg Markets feature on quantum focused on IBM's progress.

Owned media convened a digital dialogue:

• IBM Q Facebook Live – 4M views, 10,717 reactions/comments/shares--more than any other IBM FB Live

• "Sounds of IBM Q", an ASMR video, earned media coverage in Quartz, The Verge, and Popular Mechanics (826K views, 10,200+ reactions/comments/shares across social platforms)

• #IBMQ hashtag campaign shared 18,314+ times

• Launched search-optimized quantum education page. Increased its search ranking to the top 3 organic spots for key terms such as quantum computing. Competitiveness of the search term 'quantum computing,' as ranked by Serpstat, is rated ‘very difficult.’