IBM has announced the development of a quantum computer capable of handling 50 qubits, taking the lead in the race to develop a functioning quantum computer. The announcement, made at last week's IEEE Industry Summit On the Future of Computing in Washington, D.C., the United States, places IBM at the cutting edge of research into quantum computing with the largest and most powerful quantum computer yet. Quantum computers differ from digital computers in that they process information using qubits instead of binary bits; bits can be a 0s or 1s, whereas qubits can also be a 0 and/or a 1, which is made possible by the quantum effects known as entanglement and superposition, making quantum computers capable of carrying out more complex calculations much faster than their digital counterparts. Maintaining the quantum state of qubits is key to developing a commercial quantum computer and one of the biggest challenges for the industry. IBM has managed to achieve this for a total of 90 microseconds (0.09 seconds), and is another record. To find out more check out IBM Raises the Bar with a 50-Qubit Quantum Computer.