Oracle set to bring quantum computing to OCI for hybrid AI

Oracle said it will deploy Quantinuum’s Helios quantum computer inside its cloud infrastructure and provide enterprise customers access through a planned Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) quantum service for hybrid quantum-AI workloads.

The companies have forged a multi-year partnership in this regard.

The partnership will see Helios installed in a US-based OCI AI data center, where it will support hybrid quantum-AI workloads delivered as a cloud service. Oracle said it plans to preview the OCI quantum service in the coming months.

“With Quantinuum’s Helios on OCI, customers can expect to gain managed, secure access to cloud-hosted quantum computing without having to procure, install, or operate dedicated hardware or specialized facilities,” the companies said in a joint statement.

OCI to deliver hybrid quantum-AI workloads

The partnership is focused on enabling hybrid workloads that combine quantum computing with classical HPC and AI systems, according to the statement.

Under the arrangement, OCI customers will be able to access the Helios system alongside existing GPU and HPC resources.

“By operating on-premises within OCI’s infrastructure, Helios is anticipated to be able to integrate seamlessly with existing OCI compute, networking, storage, identity, and data services under the same governance and access controls customers already use,” the statement added.

By hosting Helios within OCI infrastructure, customers will be able to access quantum resources without procuring, installing, or operating dedicated hardware or specialized facilities, the statement said.

Oracle said the planned OCI quantum service will allow developers to move from simulation to execution on quantum hardware. The service is expected to combine Quantinuum’s development stack with support for open-source hybrid programming frameworks, enabling developers to build and test quantum-classical applications.

Charlie Dai, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, said the integration lowers access barriers by embedding quantum computing into existing enterprise environments. “Integrating Helios into OCI lowers access barriers by embedding quantum into existing cloud governance, security, and AI/HPC workflows,” he said.

However, Dai added that this shift does not materially change adoption timelines. “Most organizations remain in the PoC phase, with production quantum advantage still limited to a narrow set of problems,” he said.

Use cases center on research, early enterprise exploration

The companies said the platform could support applications across drug discovery, materials science, financial modelling, and large-scale optimization, including AI workloads.

“Deploying Helios inside OCI gives Quantinuum and Oracle an opportunity to create a unique and deeply integrated environment for hybrid workloads, explore enterprise use cases with customers, and accelerate commercial adoption,” Quantinuum President and CEO Dr. Rajeeb Hazra said in the statement.

The statement added the partnership will explore enterprise, AI lab, academic, and research applications, and reflects a shared view that combining quantum computing with AI and classical systems could help address computational challenges that are difficult to solve using conventional approaches alone.

Dai said CIOs should approach hybrid quantum-classical workloads as a long-term capability-building exercise rather than a near-term ROI driver. “For most enterprises, the business case today is capability building rather than measurable operational ROI,” he said.

He added that near-term value is likely to come from areas such as algorithm development, workforce readiness, and targeted research in optimization, materials science, and drug discovery.

Enterprise adoption remains focused on experimentation

Helios, Quantinuum’s third-generation quantum computer, is based on a 98-physical-qubit trapped-ion architecture and has been used in demonstrations involving 48 logical qubits, the statement said.

Quantinuum said the Helios system is designed for hybrid integration with classical HPC and AI environments.

The statement said a single Helios system has an estimated power draw of less than one percent of the draw reported for leading supercomputers, positioning it as a lower-power complementary resource for suitable hybrid workloads.

Dai said Oracle’s move aligns with broader quantum-as-a-service strategies from hyperscale cloud providers.

“Oracle’s move aligns with broader quantum-as-a-service strategies from other hyperscalers,” he said, adding that while the integration strengthens the developer environment, enterprise adoption remains focused on experimentation rather than broad production deployment.

The article originally appeared on NetworkWorld.