In June, Honeywell expects to introduce the world’s “most powerful” quantum computer. The hope is that the device will, eventually, perform calculations no ordinary computer can replicate.
For Honeywell, the quantum computer represents a chance at redemption; the company almost dominated computing during the last century’s digital revolution. In 1963, Honeywell debuted the Liberator, a program meant to free people from the stranglehold of IBM by translating Big Blue software into a format readable on Honeywell machines. Later, in another challenge to IBM, Honeywell acquired computing divisions from Raytheon and GE.
Ultimately, Honeywell admitted defeat and spun out its computing business in the ’80s. But with quantum computing, Honeywell finds itself again facing off against IBM, which has a rival quantum project in progress. Tech giants like Google and Intel are also betting big on the nascent field. Like the others, Honeywell would rent use of its quantum computers to other companies. The powerful data crunching they provide could help airlines create more efficient routes, pave the way for Big Pharma to discover new drugs, and help Wall Street better manage risk.
Honeywell's omnipresent portfolio
The company supplies a long list of industries.
The following represents just some of what it produces.
Bar-code scanners
Jet engines
N95 masks
Industrial analytics software
Warehouse robots
Smart-building technology
Compounds that replace hydrofluorocarbons in industrial refrigerators
Spacecraft flight systems
Commercial aircraft systems including radar, cockpit warning technology, and backup power
Military aircraft systems
Body armor
Will Honeywell's bets on software, quantum computers be held up by the coronavirus pandemic? | Fortune
