Mar 07, 2017 11:48 AM EST By Mark Spencer, UniversityHerald Reporter

IBM recently announced the creation of a new division it called IBM Q. The aim of the new division is to commercialize the first ever universal "quantum computers" for science and business.

In today's world, quantum computers are might still be designs and schematics spinning in the minds of engineers, however, IBM said it is getting close to developing software for it and ready when it does become commercially available, Independent reported.

Bold as it may sound, even without the presence of an actual working quantum machine, IBM planted a stake by announcing plans to offer commercial quantum machines to businesses and research organizations within the year.

Accordingly, quantum computers are expected to be game changers. It is expected to perform unprecedented speed in data processing and information handling. The change lies in the employment of quantum bits (Qubits) instead of the binary bits current computers use.

Quantum phenomenon through superposition, allows Qubits to be 0s and 1s at the exact same time. Accordingly, the ability of Qubits to exist in multiple states at any given time enables processing of more information at unmatched speeds.

IBM has been at work on quantum computing technologies for a while now. In May last year, it gave the public free access to its 5-qubit quantum computer as a cloud service through a platform called IBM Quantum Experience. IBM says 40,000 users ran over 275,000 through the system.

Additionally, IBM is reportedly updating its quantum computing cloud service with a new application program interface (API). The new API is designed to assist developers and programmers with no background in quantum physics to develop interfaces between IBM's cloud-based quantum computer and traditional computers.

According to IBM, future applications of quantum computing may include:

•  Drug and materials discovery - dissecting complex molecular and chemical interactions may lead to the discovery of new medicines and materials;
•  Supply Chain and Logistics - mapping paths across global systems for ultra-efficient logistics and supply chains;
•  Financial Services - Finding a viable model for financial data to isolate key global risks for better investments;
•  Artificial Intelligence- aims to elevate machine learning more potent when data sets are enormous when mining for any data;
•  Cloud Security - by employing laws of quantum physics, it makes cloud computing more secure thereby enhancing protection of private data.

By no means, IBM is not the only company working on Quantum computing. Microsoft and Google also offer simulated quantum computers.

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