The QPath Blog
Today (October 23rd) is the three-year anniversary of the release of QuantumPath®
We will start this article with a wonderful anecdote: The first working name for QuantumPath® was Qandalf [1] because we thought that, if we could get the solution to be developed to do half of what we had conceived and designed, it would be like doing white magic. Since we could not register the Qandalf trademark, we set ourselves the task of defining another name for the platform and three of its fundamental characteristics (ALM, agnostic and hybrid), which offer developers a path for the development of quantum software, gave rise to its name, QuantumPath®.
Six years after starting to work on Quantum Software Technology we have achieved results that far exceed half of what we initially imagined: we have managed to do some “technological white magic” and create QuantumPath®, a unique platform, specially designed for the professional development of quantum software and industry-ready hybrid systems based on Software Engineering best practices. Here is the journey to get here.
The following is a brief summary of the most relevant milestones in the short but intense history of QuantumPath®:
· On December 2017 we (the authors of this article), started working on the applied vision of an applied Quantum Software Engineering concept, defining and designing a full-stack platform that will be able to cover all the principles that make possible, simple and feasible the creation of hardware independent quantum software solutions even before the existence of this concept. As a result, the first draft and prototype of QuantumPath® arised. Officially we have cleared our journey and of course, our path…
· On September 2018, the first version of the conceptual and technical design of Qandalf (later renamed QuantumPath®) was completed and, as a result, the architecture defined for the development of the platform consists of two parts: QPath® CORE and more than a dozen QPath® APPs that, integrated with the CORE module, are conceived as a set of specialized tools in different fields that will enable the development of quantum software by applying the best practices of Software Engineering and Programming.
· From October 2018 untill October 2020, we developed the first versions of QuantumPath®.
· On October 13, 2020, the Quantum Software Technology (QST) company is created to continue and drive the development and business of the QuantumPath® platform.
· On October 23, 2020, QST initiates business actions with QuantumPath® and signs first agreement for commercial distribution of the platform with aQuantum.
· On December, 2020, QuantumPath® is deployed into it’s first IT infrastructure and published under beta access program.
· On March 26, 2021, Public release of Q Assets Compositor® for annealing.
· On April 30, 2021, Public release of qSOA® version 1.0, the QuantumPath® architecture for dynamic integration of quantum applications with classical software systems.
· On May 10, 2021, QuantumPath® selected as the quantum software development platform for the QHealth Project.
· On May 12, 2021, QuantumPath® selected as the quantum platform for the summer course “Introduction to quantum software programming” at the UCLM.
· On May 21, 2021, QuantumPath® becomes available to aQNetwork members.
· On May 26, 2021, the resolution for the granting of the QuantumPath® (QPath®) trademark was published.
· On June 3, 2021, On February 20, 2023, QuantumPath® is selected as the quantum platform for the SMOQUIN (‘Software Modernization for embracing Quantum Information’) project.
· On September 27, 2021, QuantumPath® is selected in the innovation program Bankia Fintech by Insomnia (which subsequently, as a result of the process of the acquisition of Bankia by CaixaBank was renamed CaixaBank Fintech by Insomnia) among the technologies of 200 startups from 28 countries to perform Proof of Concept (PoC) in quantum software development.
· On October 19, 2021, QuantumPath® is released for public access through internet.
· Between November and December 2021, QuantumPath® is adopted by UCLM (Spain), TNO (Netherlands), PUC-Rio (Brasil), Universidad del Bío-Bío (Chile), for Academic and Research activities on Quantum Software Engineering and Programming.
· On January 20, 2022, QuantumPath® incorporates Qiskit QAOA as the first prototype of qAgnostic QAOA technology.
· On April 18, 2022, by agreement with aQuantum, QST move QuantumPath® IT on AWS IT and the CORE incorporate the Amazon Bracket drivers to the agnostic core. The free-developer-subscription is open to everyone.
· On April 27, 2022. GLOIN (Global Process and Product Improvement) adopts QuantumPath® for developing Quantum Software Solutions.
· On June 6, 2022, qSOA® version 2.0, the technology for dynamic integration of quantum-classical hybrid software systems, is released.
· On September 21, 2022, QuantumPath® is selected as the quantum platform for the Q-SERV (Quantum Service Engineering: Development Quality, Testing & Security of Quantum Microservices) project.
· On October 17, 2022, the book “Quantum Software Engineering” is published by Springer. In the chapter 13 of the book, “Quantum Software Development with QuantumPath®”, introduces this platform for quantum agnostic software development and shows its capabilities to support the design, implementation and execution of quantum software applications, with its advantages and an example of use.
· On November 7, 2022, Q Agnostic QAOA® release 1 (execution of Annealing optimization algorithms on quantum gate computers) is released, incorporating to the agnostic core providers like qiskit, bracket, q# and Quantum Inspire.
· November 11, 2022, the book “Ingeniería del Software Cuántico & QuantumPath®” (Spanish book on Quantum Software Engineering & QuantumPath®), is published on Amazon.
· On January 23, 2023, Q Assets Compositor® 2.0: functionalities and scalability for developing industry-ready quantum circuits is released.
· On February 20, 2023, QuantumPath® is selected as the quantum platform for the QU-ASAP project
· On March 22, 2023, the book “Quantum Software Engineering & QuantumPath®” is published in English in Amazon.
· On April 10, 2023, the QTester APP beta 1: test manager for quantum software is released.
· On July 21, 2023, the Q xCompositor: a rich QuantumPath® visual circuit designer (Q Assets Compositor® technology) on Microsoft Excel is released.
· On August 23, 2023, the Q rEngineer APP beta 1: quantum software reengineering tool is released.
· On September 8, 2023, the beta 1 of the QrEngineer APP module QModernization is released.
· On October 17, 2023, QST released version 1.5 of QuantumPath®.
The history of QuantumPath® is, to a large extent, the history of QST, a startup created by and to apply the results of its specialized research in Quantum Software Engineering and Programming to the design and development of technologies, products, methods, …, that facilitate professional development and specialized quantum software services and hybrid software systems with this platform.
During this time we have focused on creating the first versions of the initial set of tools that we consider fundamental for the professional development of hybrid quantum/classical software systems, which is why QuantumPath® has continued in a constant evolution improving and publishing better functionalities practically every 15 days. As well the product has appeared in dozens of presentations and events.
For this anniversary we have launched new features of QPath® Core, among which the evolution of the user interface and backend services, together with other new features and improvements, are part of QuantumPath® version 1.5.
Overcoming the great challenges in these years of hard work in the R&D has allowed us to achieve enormous results implemented in QuantumPath®, which have helped us to grow on very solid foundations that encourage us to look to the future with technological optimism and, thanks to this, the current R&D roadmap for the platform’s products and services for the next five years is fabulous.
We will continue to work with additional partners and collaborators to further enhance the platform advantages and make it the best on the market for the development of quantum/classical hybrid, industry-ready applications.
[1] In fact, in respect to our initial name, the name spaces of our codes have as their root name, that wonderful name that could not be a brand: Qandalf.
