“量子計(jì)算”一詞對(duì)多數(shù)人而言似乎仍然只存在于科幻小說(shuō)中,然而IBM的首席執(zhí)行官阿爾溫德·克里希納卻稱該公司在2023年就可以使量子計(jì)算技術(shù)面世,且能夠以此服務(wù)于客戶,并幫助公司增收。
“(量子計(jì)算)對(duì)客戶的影響力……將達(dá)到數(shù)千億美元。”克里希納在《財(cái)富》科技頭腦風(fēng)暴在線大會(huì)上強(qiáng)調(diào)。
量子計(jì)算的優(yōu)勢(shì)在醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域尤其明顯。“傳統(tǒng)的超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)不能幫助我們解析盤(pán)尼西林或者咖啡因的內(nèi)部結(jié)構(gòu),不管它有多大。”克里希納解釋道。此類(lèi)藥品的核心生效物往往具有很強(qiáng)的亞原子隨機(jī)性,因而很難用以“比特”為單位的傳統(tǒng)計(jì)算機(jī)建模。
相比之下,量子計(jì)算機(jī)可以反映并計(jì)算出這種隨機(jī)性,除了醫(yī)學(xué),也適用于材料科學(xué)、天氣預(yù)報(bào)、金融建模以及其他一系列錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的大數(shù)據(jù)領(lǐng)域。
對(duì)IBM來(lái)說(shuō),量子計(jì)算能夠幫助它解決一個(gè)最基礎(chǔ)的問(wèn)題——如何保持公司收入增長(zhǎng)。
今年2月,克里希納正式接替羅睿蘭(Ginni Rometty)出任IBM的首席執(zhí)行官,此后一舉成功收購(gòu)了覬覦已久的紅帽公司(Red Hat)。長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),克里希納都非常專(zhuān)注于云計(jì)算服務(wù),今年10月,IBM還宣布了對(duì)增長(zhǎng)緩慢業(yè)務(wù)的剝離計(jì)劃,并強(qiáng)調(diào)要更聚焦于云計(jì)算和人工智能領(lǐng)域。量子計(jì)算雖然不是IBM目前的戰(zhàn)略核心,但也被列入了計(jì)劃范圍內(nèi)。
在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪時(shí),克里希納重點(diǎn)介紹了IBM“一萬(wàn)億美元”市場(chǎng)級(jí)別的“混合云”戰(zhàn)略。他表示,IBM的主要目標(biāo)不是構(gòu)建自己的云服務(wù),而是幫助大型企業(yè)管理多云。如此一來(lái),不同的云供應(yīng)商便可以各自協(xié)同為企業(yè)提供自身的優(yōu)勢(shì)服務(wù),企業(yè)也無(wú)需承擔(dān)單一供應(yīng)商可能帶來(lái)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn),這兩點(diǎn)對(duì)任何企業(yè)都是很有吸引力的。
據(jù)IBM在10月的報(bào)告,過(guò)去一年中,IBM在云服務(wù)方面的收入同比增長(zhǎng)了25%。但克里希納認(rèn)為IBM在諸如IT基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施服務(wù)方面的業(yè)務(wù)增長(zhǎng)緩慢,導(dǎo)致抹平了其在云服務(wù)商的優(yōu)異表現(xiàn),他表示,業(yè)務(wù)剝離后的IBM必將更具核心競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力。與此同時(shí),新冠疫情也加速了該公司在云計(jì)算方面的發(fā)展。
疫情還改變了IBM員工的工作方式,目前只有10%至15%的員工在實(shí)地辦公,其余多為遠(yuǎn)程辦公。克里希納認(rèn)為這種趨勢(shì)還會(huì)持續(xù)下去。
“辦公室變成了一個(gè)互相見(jiàn)面的地方,而不再是一個(gè)進(jìn)行日常工作的小隔間。”克里希納說(shuō)道。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳怡軒
“量子計(jì)算”一詞對(duì)多數(shù)人而言似乎仍然只存在于科幻小說(shuō)中,然而IBM的首席執(zhí)行官阿爾溫德·克里希納卻稱該公司在2023年就可以使量子計(jì)算技術(shù)面世,且能夠以此服務(wù)于客戶,并幫助公司增收。
“(量子計(jì)算)對(duì)客戶的影響力……將達(dá)到數(shù)千億美元。”克里希納在《財(cái)富》科技頭腦風(fēng)暴在線大會(huì)上強(qiáng)調(diào)。
量子計(jì)算的優(yōu)勢(shì)在醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域尤其明顯。“傳統(tǒng)的超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)不能幫助我們解析盤(pán)尼西林或者咖啡因的內(nèi)部結(jié)構(gòu),不管它有多大。”克里希納解釋道。此類(lèi)藥品的核心生效物往往具有很強(qiáng)的亞原子隨機(jī)性,因而很難用以“比特”為單位的傳統(tǒng)計(jì)算機(jī)建模。
相比之下,量子計(jì)算機(jī)可以反映并計(jì)算出這種隨機(jī)性,除了醫(yī)學(xué),也適用于材料科學(xué)、天氣預(yù)報(bào)、金融建模以及其他一系列錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的大數(shù)據(jù)領(lǐng)域。
對(duì)IBM來(lái)說(shuō),量子計(jì)算能夠幫助它解決一個(gè)最基礎(chǔ)的問(wèn)題——如何保持公司收入增長(zhǎng)。
今年2月,克里希納正式接替羅睿蘭(Ginni Rometty)出任IBM的首席執(zhí)行官,此后一舉成功收購(gòu)了覬覦已久的紅帽公司(Red Hat)。長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),克里希納都非常專(zhuān)注于云計(jì)算服務(wù),今年10月,IBM還宣布了對(duì)增長(zhǎng)緩慢業(yè)務(wù)的剝離計(jì)劃,并強(qiáng)調(diào)要更聚焦于云計(jì)算和人工智能領(lǐng)域。量子計(jì)算雖然不是IBM目前的戰(zhàn)略核心,但也被列入了計(jì)劃范圍內(nèi)。
在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪時(shí),克里希納重點(diǎn)介紹了IBM“一萬(wàn)億美元”市場(chǎng)級(jí)別的“混合云”戰(zhàn)略。他表示,IBM的主要目標(biāo)不是構(gòu)建自己的云服務(wù),而是幫助大型企業(yè)管理多云。如此一來(lái),不同的云供應(yīng)商便可以各自協(xié)同為企業(yè)提供自身的優(yōu)勢(shì)服務(wù),企業(yè)也無(wú)需承擔(dān)單一供應(yīng)商可能帶來(lái)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn),這兩點(diǎn)對(duì)任何企業(yè)都是很有吸引力的。
據(jù)IBM在10月的報(bào)告,過(guò)去一年中,IBM在云服務(wù)方面的收入同比增長(zhǎng)了25%。但克里希納認(rèn)為IBM在諸如IT基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施服務(wù)方面的業(yè)務(wù)增長(zhǎng)緩慢,導(dǎo)致抹平了其在云服務(wù)商的優(yōu)異表現(xiàn),他表示,業(yè)務(wù)剝離后的IBM必將更具核心競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力。與此同時(shí),新冠疫情也加速了該公司在云計(jì)算方面的發(fā)展。
疫情還改變了IBM員工的工作方式,目前只有10%至15%的員工在實(shí)地辦公,其余多為遠(yuǎn)程辦公。克里希納認(rèn)為這種趨勢(shì)還會(huì)持續(xù)下去。
“辦公室變成了一個(gè)互相見(jiàn)面的地方,而不再是一個(gè)進(jìn)行日常工作的小隔間。”克里希納說(shuō)道。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳怡軒
Quantum computing remains a science-fiction catchphrase for many. But according to IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, his company’s clients could be using the technology, and reaping huge benefits, as soon as 2023.
“The impact [of quantum computing] on our clients…is going to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars,” Krishna said at today’s Fortune Brainstorm Tech virtual conference.
Those benefits will be particularly pronounced in medicine. “If you want to understand penicillin or caffeine, you can’t do that on a conventional supercomputer, no matter how big you make it,” Krishna explained. The subatomic randomness that gives those precious substances their powerful effects are difficult to model with conventional computers, which consist of simple on-off switches known as bits.
By contrast, a quantum computer can mirror randomness. That’s useful not just for medicine, but materials science, weather forecasting, financial modeling, and other problems that involve huge amounts of data and chaotic interactions.
Quantum computing may eventually help IBM solve a more mundane problem: how to keep revenues growing.
Krishna, who succeeded Ginni Rometty as IBM’s CEO in February of 2020, has long focused on cloud computing services, culminating in the acquisition of Red Hat, which he spearheaded before being named CEO. In October, IBM announced plans to spin out slower-growing parts of its business and to focus on cloud and artificial intelligence. Quantum computing, though less strategically central, would also remain under the IBM umbrella.
Speaking to Fortune’s Aaron Pressman, Krishna focused on IBM’s “hybrid cloud” strategy, which the company says represents a $1 trillion market. IBM’s main goal is not to build their own cloud services, but to help big business manage multiple clouds. That’s an appealing proposition not just because different cloud providers offer different strengths, but because dependence on any one vendor is risky.
In October, IBM reported that its cloud services revenue for the prior 12 months had grown by 25% from the previous 12 months. Krishna said those results are being obscured by slower-growing IBM units, such as IT infrastructure services, and that the planned spinoff will clarify IBM’s core strength. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated growth in cloud computing.
The pandemic has also changed how offices work, and Krishna provided some insight into IBM’s mindset. Only 10% to 15% of IBM employees, he noted, are working in offices, with the rest still remote. Krishna thinks that shift is basically here to stay.
“The office becomes a place to meet,” said Krishna, “Not a cubicle where you do routine work.”