D-Wave Announces Leap-2 and Discusses it and Matching with Machine Learning

Fascinating progress here.  We have followed D-Wave Quantum computing here since our original conversations with them.  Excellent update here.

D-Wave: Quantum computing and machine learning are ‘extremely well matched’   By Emil Protalinski   @EPRO in VentureBeat

Following D-Wave’s announcement of Leap 2, a new version of its quantum cloud service for building and deploying quantum computing applications, VentureBeat had the opportunity to sit down with Murray Thom, D-Wave’s VP of software and cloud services. We naturally talked about Leap 2, including the improvements the company hopes it will bring for businesses and developers. But we also discussed the business applications D-Wave has already seen to date.

Quantum computing leverages qubits to perform computations that would be much more difficult, or simply not feasible, for a classical computer. Based in Burnaby, Canada, D-Wave was the first company to sell commercial quantum computers, which are built to use quantum annealing. Applications include everything from cryptography and optimization to machine learning and materials science. In fact, D-Wave has a webpage dedicated to quantum computing applications including airline scheduling, election modeling, quantum chemistry simulation, automotive design, preventative health care, logistics, and more.  ... "


Here is part of the press release about D-Waves's Leap 2:

D-Wave Launches Leap 2, Opening Door to In-Production Quantum Applications
The quantum cloud service gives developers and enterprises a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive environment for developing and deploying hybrid quantum applications.

BURNABY, BC – (February 26, 2020) — D-Wave Systems Inc., the leader in quantum computing systems, software, and services, today announced the immediate availability of Leap 2 , the first quantum cloud service designed for developers and organizations to easily build and deploy real-world hybrid quantum applications with practical impact. In addition to live, real-time access to the D-Wave quantum system, the offering expands the Quantum Application Environment (QAE) to provide new tools and resources needed to drive development of critical business applications and put them into production.

Built on insights from thousands of users, many of them developers, and from the past 18 months of usage of the Leap quantum cloud service, Leap 2 includes:  .... "