OVHcloud and French company Quandela announced at the Quantum Defence Summit that the photonic quantum computer Belenos is now accessible through their cloud platform. The 12-qubit system expands the OVHcloud Quantum Platform and targets businesses looking to experiment with quantum algorithms in areas such as machine learning, image processing, and electromagnetic simulation.
At the Quantum Defence Summit, OVHcloud, a European cloud provider, and Quandela, a company specializing in photonic quantum computing, announced the integration of the quantum computer Belenos into the OVHcloud Quantum Platform. The move makes another real quantum processor accessible via a Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) model – with no contractual commitment and billing by the second.
The Belenos system operates using photonic quantum technology and offers 12 qubits. Photonic systems use light particles to process information and are considered more resilient to environmental interference than some other quantum approaches. For businesses, this represents a low-barrier entry point to real quantum hardware without building their own infrastructure.
The OVHcloud Quantum Platform launched in fall 2024. It combines quantum emulators – including Perceval and MerLin – with real Quantum Processing Units (QPUs). Entry-level pricing starts at €0.03 per hour for emulators; more than a thousand users have already accessed the platform. Belenos is the second physical quantum processor in the portfolio, following an earlier QPU offering.
Both companies see application potential in areas including image sorting and generation, Quantum Machine Learning (QML), accelerated AI computation, as well as scientific fields: electromagnetic simulation, structural mechanics, combustion processes, materials simulation, meteorology, and Earth observation.
“We are very pleased to now offer Belenos from the French company Quandela as a second reference quantum computer for our network. The quantum revolution in Europe is accelerating, and OVHcloud holds an important position within the ecosystem as a European cloud provider,” said Miroslaw Klaba, R&D Director at OVHcloud.
Niccolò Somaschi, CEO and co-founder of Quandela, added: “The integration of Belenos into the OVHcloud portfolio marks a decisive step for quantum computing in Europe. This cloud-accessible photonic computer becomes a tangible tool for businesses. Together with OVHcloud, we give data scientists and innovators the opportunity to develop their algorithms on a flexible, sovereign infrastructure.”
OVHcloud states it has been actively engaged in the European quantum ecosystem since 2022. Making real QPUs available through a European cloud infrastructure aligns with broader European efforts to establish technological sovereignty in quantum computing – a field expected to significantly impact cryptography, logistics, and materials research in the years ahead.
Dr. Jakob Jung is Editor-in-Chief of Security Storage and Channel Germany. He has been working in IT journalism for more than 20 years. His career includes Computer Reseller News, Heise Resale, Informationweek, Techtarget (storage and data center) and ChannelBiz. He also freelances for numerous IT publications, including Computerwoche, Channelpartner, IT-Business, Storage-Insider and ZDnet. His main topics are channel, storage, security, data center, ERP and CRM.
Contact via Mail: jakob.jung@security-storage-und-channel-germany.de