IBM’s 53-Qubit Quantum Computer And Its Partnership For Seafood Safety

IBM has made it possible for the clients of IBM Q Network to make the most of the 53-qubit quantum computer. The system has gone live and has attracted a lot of attention from the tech giants who are keenly observing the industry. It is said to be the largest of the kind ever to be unveiled and available to use.

The latest addition to IBM ‘s new Quantum Computation Centre in New York state is all set to be a data center for IBM’s quantum machines featuring 20-qubit machines. The number will eventually grow to 14 with time. IBM has a 95% service availability for its machines.

The 53-qubit introduces many new techniques helping the company launch larger and more reliable systems for cloud deployments. More compact and custom electronics improve scaling and lower error rates as well as come with a new processor design.

We aim to bring the quantum computer to the hands of tens of thousands of users rather than keep them in isolated labs accessible only to a handful of organizations. The momentum has been set with deploying quantum computer on the cloud in 2016.” said the director of IBM Research, Dario Gil. “We are ready for the quantum advantage, that is achieved producing powerful quantum systems to solve all real problems faced by clients not solved with classical computers. with IBM Quantum systems, this goal is achieved without any hurdles.”

The efforts of IBM towards opening Quantum Computation are a good indication of the seriousness that the company is showing through the efforts it has taken. The program now supports around 80 partnerships with commercial clients, academic institutions and research labs. They have started using the machines that are available to work on real-world problems even though the current quantum computing is not industry ready for serious solving of problems rather than toying around and testing basic algorithms. 

Many different industries help improve food safety with the help of blockchain technology as assisted by IBM. The latest effort is a partnership with Raw Seafoods, Inc. to make sure of the safety starting with scallops. The solid use case allows stakeholders to trace a shipment from farm, factory or fishing boat to the market. The main challenge faced is getting participation from suppliers, with a wide range of technological abilities along the chain. 

IBM is working with scallop boats out of New Bedford, to share data about catches, making it work with stakeholders to know the whereabouts. IBM makes it possible to track the catch from the time the boat landed at the dock and was hand graded, selected, packed and shipped to the destination.” Photographs and videos are available before the boat reaches the consumer. 

The data can be accessed thanks to the blockchain technology, by just clicking a node to track where the scallops are given at any point in its journey from boat to market. Before digitization, tracking food was tedious, whereas, with blockchain, it can be tracked instantly.

Rajendra Rao, general manager of IBM Food Trust, says, “ in the years before blockchain, tracing the origin of a food product would take days especially for wild-caught sea scallops. Now the time frame is reduced to a matter of seconds solving three of the core consumer concerns deterring them from enjoying seafood. Safety, sustainability and authenticity are the prime factors taken care of.”

The latest invention comes with Raw Seafood, Inc. building an app, that’s connected to the platform allowing consumers at a restaurant to scan the QR code on the menu and get all the details about the scallops they have ordered. This is nothing new to the industry as IBM has announced a similar partnership with Walmart to track the green leafy vegetables from farm to shelf.

IBM has been at the forefront in making the blockchain technology influence the daily life of the common people. This is the best example of technology coming to the rescue of people. More applications in the medical, airline and food industries make life easy to live and have a high standard of living. Technology has taken the lives of the common man by the storm, with the digital world playing a major role in knitting together humans across the world sans boundaries and borders. Blockchain technology is the promise of the future and it is here to stay for a while.