Next in Tech

The next in our Quantum CEO series looks at the nature of a fundamental element of quantum computing – the qubit. Dr. Theau Peronnin, cofounder and CEO of Alice & Bob, joins host Eric Hanselman to explore the nature and characteristics of this often-misunderstood foundation of the quantum world. There is no standardized definition for a qubit, and yet, many quantum efforts measure their success in terms of qubit counts. At the same time, there are efforts to define logical qubits, as a more functional measure, further clouding the term. It's far better to look at the work that they can do and what the constraints are in their operation. The current generation of quantum computers work with environments that are computationally noisy, creating error rates that are more than eighteen orders of magnitude greater than classical computers. That puts a focus not only on managing error rates, but also on establishing meaningful benchmarks around quantum performance.
There are also efforts to expand the working life of a qubit, the coherence time, and the speed of computation. Differing approaches to quantum computing trade off stability and durability of the quantum state needed to perform a computation. Quantum capabilities are expanding more rapidly than many had predicted and organizations need to develop a better understanding of where and when quantum computing can fit in their business plans.
 
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Credits:
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Producer/Editor: Feranmi Adeoshun
Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Kyra Smith

We kick off the next in our CEO series with a look at quantum computing. Alan Baratz is the CEO of D-Wave and he joins host Eric Hanselman to explore quantum computing architectures, how they're evolving, and how enterprises should be considering quantum computing applications. D-Wave now offers both annealing and gate model quantum computing systems, with different types of problems being suited to each type. While many view quantum computing as a distant future, quantum approaches are delivering business value today, particularly in quantum annealing, where optimization of scheduling and processing can be done with greater precision and speed.
One of the challenges the enterprises face is translating existing use cases into the quantum realm. So often, heuristics are developed to approximate the computations that are required. The shift to quantum thinking steps beyond the heuristics that were applied to reduce computational efforts and looks at directly addressing computationally complex problems. It's a shift to embracing a new way addressing some of the most challenging enterprise problems.
 
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Credits:
Host/Author: Eric Hanselman
Guest: Alan Baratz
Producer/Editor: Feranmi Adeoshun
Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Kyra Smith

While the annual gathering of all things telecom might have been dampened by geopolitical impacts, Mobile World Congress was still a hotbed of everything new and next. Analysts Raul Castañon-Martinez and Rich Karpinski join host Eric Hanselman to discuss what they saw in Barcelona and what it portends for not only the telecom players, but also the wider technology ecosystem that was clamoring for attention. MWC has evolved into an event that spans technology in many different forms. There's a telecom anchor that expands from smartphones, to infrastructure, out to AI and agentic, even out to quantum computing. There seemed to be more quantum computers on display than the perennial stand attraction – Formula 1 cars.
This year presented and more pointed challenge to telecom operators to make the jump into being technology providers. There's certainly a desire to get to a "Connectivity plus" footing, but there are many ecosystem players looking to be the provider of choice for AI services. Operators are trying to avoid the over-the-top displacement of previous tech transitions, but they're facing a much broader set of competitors.
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We're well underway in the integration of agents into various enterprise workflows, but there are many questions about where and how they can be used effectively. Emily Jasper and Sheryl Kingstone return to the podcast to discuss their recent research and upcoming webinar with host Eric Hanselman. Much has been made of claims that agents are going to replace SaaS applications, particularly in applications like CRM, but that relies on a fundamental misunderstanding of where their value lies. CRM systems are the repositories of crucial enterprise data and agents can help to deliver on many of their unfulfilled promises. Many systems have
 
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The RSAC Conference, a major cybersecurity gathering in the spring, is coming up and the impacts of agents will be on full display. Scott Crawford, Brenon Daly, and Dan Kennedy join host Eric Hanselman to explore their expectations and look at what's been taking place in both the marketplace, investments and M&A activity. Agents are automating tasks, not jobs, and there are a great set of use cases, but they're not a panacea. There will be disruption, but it will be in specific areas, rather than a universal replacement of existing tooling.
Are we industrializing the automated creation of software? Will agents really replace SaaS applications? We're clearly in the early days, but these questions are causing massive market shifts. A better question is how agentic interactions will change how we interact with the applications that drive businesses today.
Join the team at RSAC and get all the details we didn't have time to cover. The annual 451 Research breakfast will be on, as always, so you can meet the team in person. 
 
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