Quantum computing firm D-Wave is to deploy an on-premise computer at a customer’s facility in Alabama.
Announced this week, the company will be placing an Advantage system on-premise at a new site operated by defense company Davidson Technologies.
Building on the companies’ existing relationship, the QPU will be located at Davidson’s new global headquarters in Huntsville and placed in a secure facility developed to run sensitive applications. Further details, including timelines for deployment, weren’t shared.
“Davidson has a track record of embracing emerging and advanced technologies to address unique and critical national defense challenges and protect our nation’s interests,” said Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave. “By placing an Advantage quantum computing system onsite at Davidson’s headquarters and creating a unique environment for operation, we’re opening up opportunities to tackle the US government’s most pressing computational problems.”
Founded in 1996, Davidson Technologies provides software services to aerospace and missile defense customers, including weapon systems cybersecurity, software development, modeling and simulation, and AI offerings.
“By housing the second US-based Advantage quantum computer at our facility in Huntsville, we will provide our government customers with unprecedented access to quantum computing technology in our facility,” said Dale Moore, president of Davidson Technologies. “We’re honored to host a D-Wave Advantage computer and believe this will greatly advance quantum’s role in national security, as we support the critical mission of defending the US and its allies, both at home and abroad.”
Initially accessible to all D-Wave customers located in select countries via the company’s cloud service, D-Wave said the system may be exclusively dedicated to sensitive application development and operations once Davidson’s secure facility is established.
The system will be the second US-based D-Wave Advantage quantum computer to be deployed. It is expected to become the first in the US certified for sensitive applications using annealing quantum computing.
D-Wave has a multi-year partnership with the University of Southern California (USC). Recently renewed, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering will continue to house a D-Wave Advantage quantum computer. The center has housed several generations of D-Wave’s quantum systems.
Like many other quantum companies, D-Wave offers access to its systems through its own cloud and public cloud providers, and sells hardware for on-premise deployments.
While cloud access is still the most common method of accessing quantum hardware, on-premise deployments are becoming more widespread, especially at supercomputing centers and universities. A small number have been deployed at colocation data centers and enterprise facilities.
