Honeywell Quantum Solutions And Cambridge Quantum Computing Will Combine To Form World's Largest, Most Advanced Quantum Business

* Upon completion of the combination, Honeywell will own a majority stake of the new company, which will shape the future of what is projected to become a $1 trillion quantum computing industry

* New business will offer the world’s highest-performing quantum computer and comprehensive quantum software, including the first and most advanced quantum operating system

* Software business will remain hardware agnostic and continue to be fully compatible with all global quantum hardware providers, maximizing customer benefits

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) announced yesterday that Honeywell Quantum Solutions (HQS) and Cambridge Quantum Computing (CQC), two world-leading quantum computing and quantum technology businesses, will combine to form the largest, most advanced standalone quantum computing company in the world, setting the pace for what is projected to become a $1 trillion quantum computing industry over the next three decades.

The new company will offer the world’s highest performing quantum computer and a full suite of quantum software, including the first and most advanced quantum operating system. These technologies will support customer needs for improved computation in diverse areas including cyber security, drug discovery and delivery, material science, finance, and optimization across all major industrial markets. The company will also focus on the advancement of natural language processing to fully leverage the possibilities of quantum artificial intelligence.

Quantum computing will remain a key breakthrough initiative for Honeywell. After the transaction is complete, Honeywell will own a majority stake in the new company, with commensurate governance rights. In addition, Honeywell will invest between $270 million and $300 million in the new company and will have a long-term agreement to help manufacture the critical ion traps needed to power the quantum hardware. Honeywell’s businesses will continue to serve as a proving ground for the new company’s quantum offerings.

The combination is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Honeywell Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Darius Adamczyk will serve as chairman of the new company. The new company will be led by Ilyas Khan, the CEO and founder of CQC. Tony Uttley, currently the president of HQS, will serve as the new company’s president.

“Since we first announced Honeywell’s quantum business in 2018, we have heard from many investors who have been eager to invest directly in our leading technologies at the forefront of this exciting and dynamic industry – now, they will be able to do so,” Adamczyk said. “The new company will provide the best avenue for us to onboard new, diverse sources of capital at scale that will help drive rapid growth.”

Adamczyk continued, “The new company will have the best talent in the industry, the world’s highest-performing quantum computer, the first and most advanced quantum operating system, and comprehensive, hardware-agnostic software that will drive the future of the quantum computing industry. The new company will be extremely well positioned to create value in the near-term within the quantum computing industry by offering the critical global infrastructure needed to support the sector’s explosive growth.”

“Joining together into an exciting newly combined enterprise, HQS and CQC will become a global powerhouse that will develop and commercialize quantum solutions that address some of humanity’s greatest challenges, while driving the development of what will become a $1 trillion industry,” Khan said. “I am excited to lead a company that has the best people and technologies in the quantum computing industry and the best and boldest clients. Together we will lead the industry as it grows and matures, and create tangible, credible, provable and science-led advances.”

Honeywell’s trapped ion-based quantum computing hardware recently achieved a quantum volume of 512, the highest measured on a commercial quantum computer to date, with further advances in progress. CQC is the global leader in software, cyber security and algorithms that help optimize quantum computing hardware. CQC’s software business will remain hardware agnostic and will continue to be fully compatible with all global quantum hardware providers. Honeywell has been an investor in and commercial partner with CQC since 2019.

Over the last decade, Honeywell has incubated its quantum business from the idea stage to commercial launch. Today, HQS employs some of the world’s leading experts in quantum computing and provides customers from some of the world’s largest organizations with access to the highest-performing quantum computers. Honeywell’s cross-disciplinary team of more than 160 scientists, engineers, and software developers – dedicated to advancing quantum volume and addressing real enterprise problems across industries – will join the new company. The combined company will have a staff of over 300, more than 100 of whom hold doctorates and over 200 of whom are scientists that include some of the world’s leading quantum computing experts.

Honeywell’s quantum computer uses trapped-ion technology, which leverages numerous, individual, charged atoms (ions) to hold quantum information. Honeywell’s system applies electromagnetic fields to hold (trap) each ion so it can be manipulated and encoded using laser pulses. These high-performance operations require deep experience across multiple disciplines, including atomic physics, optics, cryogenics, lasers, magnetics, ultra-high vacuum, and precision control systems. Honeywell has a decades-long legacy of expertise in these technologies.

CQC was founded in 2014 and is backed by some of the world's leading quantum computing companies. With a team of approximately 150 and offices in Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States, CQC is a pioneer in the quantum software sector and a leader in the commercialization of quantum technologies. In this year alone, CQC has announced groundbreaking advances that make quantum computers practically useful to the finance and banking industry by enabling quantum Monte Carlo simulations; unveiled unhackable keys for cybersecurity, using Honeywell’s quantum computers to allow for the protection of corporate, governmental and private data and communications; provided details of the world’s largest experiment in quantum natural language processing, a key enabler of AI; announced commercial projects in drug discovery in critical areas that will enhance humanity’s well-being; and provided open-access to all quantum software developers to “tket,” the world’s most popular quantum software development kit.

There is no change to Honeywell's 2021 financial outlook as a result of the transaction. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as Honeywell’s lead financial advisor for the transaction. The new company’s name will be announced on a future date.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. 

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements. We identify the principal risks and uncertainties that affect our performance in our Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Zebra Technologies Enterprise Mobile Computing Named To The 2021 CRN Mobile 100 List

* Zebra’s EC50/EC55 enterprise mobile computers recognized among the 20 Coolest Phones, Accessories and Mobile Computers of 2021

Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today announced that CRN, a brand of the Channel Company, has named the EC50/EC55 enterprise mobile computers to its 2021 Mobile 100 list. The EC50/EC55 were recognized among the 20 Coolest Phones, Accessories and Mobile Computers of 2021. The CRN Mobile 100 list has become an indispensable resource for solution providers looking to meet their mobility needs with only the best technology and services from IT suppliers.

Zebra Technologies joins top technology vendors that are featured on this annual list of the companies that bring innovative and efficient products to the mobile market. The companies that secured a spot on the 2021 Mobile 100 were chosen by a panel of CRN editors that drew nominations from four different categories of consideration: Laptops and Tablets; Phones, Accessories and Mobile Computers; Mobile Security and Management Tools: Mobile App Development Platforms and Collaboration Apps.

Zebra’s EC5x series, which was released earlier this year, is a new category of individually assigned enterprise mobile computers designed to keep workers connected and informed. The EC5x series improves individual productivity, collaboration and the customer experience across multiple industries, including retail, hospitality, field services and ancillary healthcare. It’s also ideal for large, global companies as well as small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and is Zebra’s thinnest and lightest mobile computer.

“The IT vendors being recognized on CRN’s 2021 Mobile 100 list have demonstrated an unwavering commitment toward supporting solution providers with the tools and services they need to succeed in today’s mobility-facing business landscape,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “On behalf of The Channel Company, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to these forward-thinking companies for their dedication to improving the customer experience.”

The 2021 Mobile 100 list is available online at www.CRN.com/Mobile100.

Citrix Recognized For Delivering Signature Secure Remote Access Solutions

Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) today announced that it has been recognized among the most important and innovative Zero Trust network access (ZTNA) solutions by independent research firm Forrester Research Inc. in a report titled “New Tech: Zero Trust Network Access, Q2 2021.”

Designed to provide a comprehensive picture of the market for ZTNA solutions, the report identified 34 vendors and classified them based on three criteria, including: number of years in business, number of employees and maturity of product.

Vendors identified in the report fall under three maturity groups: late stage, growth stage and early stage. Citrix is among the vendors identified by Forrester as “late-stage,” or those founded before 2011. As noted by the authors:

Companies that have been in the cybersecurity market for a decade or more can be expected to have expertise in foundational technologies like access, networking, least privilege access and data protection.

Established companies are more likely to have mature partnerships and well-developed support organizations.

Headcount assigned to ZTNA shows the vendor’s dedication to their product’s growth and sustainability.

ZTNA solutions that were in the field prior to 2020 are expected to be significantly more mature than those launched during the pandemic.

Forging a New Model

“The rapid move to the cloud and remote work prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic have opened the door to a host of new security and reliability concerns that require a new approach to defend against,” said Fermin Serna, Chief Information Security Officer, Citrix. “In a world where resources can and must be accessed anywhere, anytime from any device, modern enterprises need to take an intelligent,  contextual and adaptive approach to workspace security that protects their employees and data following the Zero Trust model. This is what Citrix digital workspace security solutions are uniquely designed to facilitate, and we are pleased to be among the vendors recognized by Forrester for delivering them.”

Fueling a Modern Approach

Citrix provides a powerful set of integrated cloud services as part of its secure access solution. The solution, which provides security closer to the user and closer to applications wherever they are deployed, enables companies to:

Consolidate access to all internal and external apps, sanctioned or unsanctioned by IT 

Ensure a secure, high-performing work environment for the hybrid workforce 

Reduce risk of internal and external attacks across all apps, application APIs, devices and data

Unify and optimize corporate digital architecture through consolidated networking and a Zero Trust, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) security model

To learn more about Citrix solutions and the security transformation they can drive, click here.

About Citrix

Citrix (NASDAQ: CTXS) builds the secure, unified digital workspace technology that helps organizations unlock human potential and deliver a consistent workspace experience wherever work needs to get done. With Citrix, users get a seamless work experience and IT has a unified platform to secure, manage, and monitor diverse technologies in complex cloud environments.

Hero MotoSports Team Rally Kicks Off Rally Kazakhstan Campaign

Hero MotoSports Team Rally kicked into high gear for the second race of the 2021 season, with Rally Kazakhstan today. Carrying the Team’s flag will be the exciting trio of Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler and Franco Caimi, who delivered a great finish in the Andalucia Rally 2021 just the previous month.

After successfully completing the administrative checks and vehicle scrutiny in the morning, the riders got their first taste of the Kazakhstan terrain with a 2.7 kms Prologue stage. The results of the short loop outside the city of Aktau will be used to determine the starting order for tomorrow.

Joaquim finished the Prologue in 6th place, followed by Caimi and Buhler in 9th and 10th places respectively. This puts them in a good place for the first full stage of the rally tomorrow.

Joaquim Rodrigues, the experienced Portugese and Franco Caimi, the exciting Argentine rider are both highly regarded talents in the realm of Cross-country rallies and are coming off into this race on the back of strong Top 5 finishes in the recently concluded Andalucia Rally. The German talent Sebastian Buhler has already started making a name for himself, and the Rally of Kazakhstan will give him another chance to gain more experience and build on his skills.

The first full stage, starting tomorrow, will cover 280 kms of specials, with a little of everything that this area has to offer, ranging from hard packs to plains, dunes, rocky ascents and descents. Operating out of Aktau, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, Rally Kazakhstan will cover over 1465 kms of special stages and a total distance of 2275 kms over the next 5 days.

Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “It‘s nice to be back at the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship, after a covid break since October 2019. We are quite excited for the rally as it's the first time for bikes here and also a first for Team Hero. Looking forward to experiencing a new country here in Kazakhstan.”

Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “We are in Kazakhstan for the first race of the FIM World Championship. The Prologue was a little strange to begin with, but we finally got it going and I just played it safe. The feeling was good today, so let’s see how it goes tomorrow with the first stage.”

Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “It was a very short stage, I think it was a minute or less. It was fun, just to check the bikes and the conditions and I really enjoyed it. I am very happy to be here, it’s my first time in Kazakhstan, so it’s very exciting to get to know this new desert. I am enjoying the bike, the team and this desert, so let’s see how it goes tomorrow.”

Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “It was a very short prologue, only around 2 kms.  It is mainly to see the start order for tomorrow but it felt good.  I look forward to a good 5 stages and a nice rally, because with the difficult times we are in, it’s a joy to be able to participate in races like this.”

Provisional rankings -                       Prologue

1.   Ross Branch                       Monster Energy Yamaha Rally     1m 26s

2.   Daniel Sanders                    Gas Gas Factory Team                  +0.4s

3.   Matthias Walkner                  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing    +0.7s

6.   Joaquim Rodrigues                 Hero MotoSports Team Rally    +2.0s

9.   Franco Caimi                      Hero MotoSports Team Rally        +7.4s

10.  Sebastian Buhler                  Hero MotoSports Team Rally     +8.4s

Ashish Patel - An Eco-Warrior & Environmentalist At Heart From Parnera Town, Gujarat

Ashish Patel, 36, is an Environmentalist at heart residing in Parnera town in Valsad district of South Gujarat. He works as a Senior Executive in the Quality Control Department at pharmaceuticals giant Sun Pharma plant in Silavasa.

Parnera has historic, spiritual and religious significance. Parnera Hill once had a fort erected in the 15th century, later captured by Sultan Muhamad Shah Begda. Later in the sixteenth century, the Portuguese of Daman conquered it and later during the Peshwa era, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj gloriously visited Parnera Fort on his way back from Surat. The hilltop is blessed with temples of Deity Kali Mata, Deity Ambika (Chamunda) Mata and the great Lord Shiva. It also possesses a mosque of Chand Pir Baba Dargah. Today, nearby people visit it for hiking, trekking, recreational, spiritual and religious purposes from nearby localities.

Ashish was visiting the Parnera hill-top once in 2016 along with his companions and got an idea to take the onus of tree plantation to enrich the biodiversity. From 2017 he started executing the idea and his efforts made him enlarge the group with members from nearby localities. Every Sunday he spends three hours in digging the soil, ploughing, planting sampling, watering the saplings and trees and cultivates the varying portions of the hilly area. When the locals request him to visit their place for tree plantation he happily agrees.

His five years of endurance has made 700 trees live which includes categories like Neem, Bamboo, Mango among varying others and he plans to plant 150 saplings annually. He likes to call his group Swatch Bharat. His friends join him in carrying water in cannons, digging, ploughing, bringing saplings and contributing in varying ways as Climate Warriors.

Apart from tree plantation, Ashish is involved in other social activities as well. He distributed food and groceries to the needy in 2020 lockdown and also arranged for an oxygen cylinder for a Covid-19 patient with the help of an affiliated NGO.

“I want the future generation to have a green pollution-free zone in my locality and that’s my only motive and inspiration to carry out this task. I am grateful to the people who accompany me on Sunday mornings for this selfless activity and contribute happily. Climate change is for real. 13th Goal of UN SDGs which is Climate Action is something we all need to consider and give a thought for ourselves and our future generations. Tree plantation is one of the tasks we can do. But other things like reducing plastic usage, waste-management, recycling among others can also be considered by the responsible citizens and everyone can make difference through their efforts. My thought-process is simple – plant trees, inspire others through actions and make a small difference”, states Eco-Warrior Ashish Patel.

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today.

Land Rover Defender Supports The World's Toughest Adventure Race

* Perfect partnership: Award-winning Land Rover Defender to play vital role as a support vehicle at the world’s toughest adventure race – the Red Bull X-Alps 2021

* Behind the scenes: A fleet of Defender 110 models will transport athletes, medical crew and support staff throughout the challenge,  over 1 238 km of alpine terrain

* Rugged accommodation: The 4x4 will be a home-from-home for participants, who will sleep onboard using the bespoke Autohome roof tent* developed for the Defender 110

* Extreme endurance: 12-day competition combines hiking, ultra-running, mountaineering and paragliding across five countries – Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and France

* Adventurous pedigree: Land Rover has more than 73 years of expedition heritage, making it the perfect official vehicle partner for the extreme Red Bull X-Alps

Whitley, Wednesday 9 June 2021 – The award-winning Land Rover Defender will demonstrate its capability and durability as a support vehicle for the extreme Red Bull X-Alps. As official vehicle partner, Land Rover will provide a fleet of Defender 110s to support the world’s toughest adventure race.

Red Bull X-Alps athletes will negotiate more than 1 200 km of demanding alpine landscape in up to 12 days, from 20 June to 2 July 2021. Each of the 32 competitors will combine hiking, ultra-running, mountaineering and paragliding in a true test of human endurance and stamina. On a typical day, the athletes can expect to hike over 50 km with vertical ascents of up to 5 000 m, burning as many as 6 000 calories.

Land Rover’s most capable and durable 4x4 will provide unstoppable transport and shelter from the ever-changing conditions, while carrying vital supplies and equipment. The rugged 4x4s will come kitted with Autohome Roof Tents to aid athletes and crew members in their much-needed recovery, providing a safe and comfortable place to rest.

Seven of the athletes will be supported by Land Rover, including six-time Red Bull X-Alps winner Christian Maurer of Switzerland. Joining him are Red Bull X-Alps veterans Paul Guschlbauer (Austria), Gavin McClurg (USA), Tobias Grossrubatscher (Italy) and Markus Anders (Germany), who have participated in 11 races between them. There will also be debuts for Laurie Genovese (France) and Théo de Blic (France) as part of #TeamLandRover.

Ulrich Grill, Race Organiser, said: “Land Rover is synonymous with endurance adventures and the Defender will play a vital role in the Red Bull X-Alps challenge, supporting the competitors and race organisers as they battle the elements across the 1 238 km course. Its unstoppable capability and practical cabin mean it promises to be one constant throughout the 12-day event that participants will be able to rely on come rain or shine.”

The role of support vehicle will see crew members test the Defender’s expedition credentials to the extreme. With a maximum payload of up to 900 kg, dynamic roof load of 168 kg and static of 300 kg, each vehicle will be loaded with equipment and supplies. Terrain Response 2 technology – including world-first Configurable Terrain Response – will allow the drivers to fine-tune the vehicle to suit their driving preferences and the conditions.

Accessories including Land Rover’s Portable Rinse System, Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carriers and Integrated Air Compressors will combine with Defender’s integrated 4G Wi-Fi connectivity and the Autohome Roof Tents to give competitors everything they need to rest and recover properly at the end of each day and to complete the epic event.

Following its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019, Defender has won more than 58 international awards, including the 2021 World Car Design of the Year title at the annual World Car Awards.

Watch the race unfold: www.redbullxalps.com/livetracking

*Roof tent requires Expedition Roof Rack to be fitted

ACKO Organises Vaccination Drive For Employees, Family Members And Customers

Purely digital insurance platform ACKO held a vaccination drive  at its Bengaluru headquarters covering the vaccination cost for all employees and their family members. The vaccination drive has also been extended to friends of ACKO employees and NinjaKart employees which is one of ACKO’s Group Health Insurance clients. This drive will be conducted with all essential safety protocols in place to ensure that social distancing is maintained.

ACKO’s vaccination drive is a part of the company’s efforts to offer essential medical and non-medical support to employees to help tide over the ongoing crisis. ACKO has set up a dedicated 24X7 COVID-19 war room (helpline), driven by the company’s leadership team to ensure a timely response to a medical or financial requirement.

Talking about the vaccination drive, Ruchi Deepak, Co-founder of ACKO, said, “Vaccination has single handedly emerged as the only thing that can minimize the severity of the Covid-19 infection. We are very grateful to our team who have worked tirelessly to create this vaccination opportunity for not just our colleagues but also our partners. The only way we can tide over the pandemic and reach normalcy is if the entire country is swiftly vaccinated. This is our effort towards the same and our commitment to our employee welfare. We remain committed towards organizing more such drives as and when the opportunity presents itself”. 

Suman Pal, Senior Vice President, ACKO, who has been managing this internal initiative said, “For our inoculation drive, we have partnered with Fortis, a top-tier hospital, to ensure the safe and timely administration of the vaccine. We are following all public health guidelines while executing this drive and streamlining all our efforts to protect the health of employees and their families. We will continue to organize more such vaccination drives for our clients and their families in other cities like Mumbai & Delhi in near future”.

About ACKO:

ACKO Insurance is one of India’s leading digital insurance policy providers with its entire operations offered through the digital platform. Founded in 2016 by Varun Dua and Ruchi Deepak, ACKO’s entire process is designed to provide better customer experience. ACKO executes primarily through a digital platform with no offline hassles - zero paperwork from purchase, claims to renewals. ACKO’s innovative products and smart technology offerings make it stand out. The company uses a direct-to-consumer approach for distributing traditional products, allowing for favourable risk selection and exceptional underwriting. ACKO also offers innovative and bite-sized insurance products such as rider insurance, mobile and appliance protection, ticket cancellation etc in partnership with 18+ leading players in the internet ecosystem such as Ola, Oyo, redBus, Zomato, HDB Financial Services and UrbanCompany. In a span of 24 months of operations, the company has distributed insurance policies to over 62+ mn unique customers and issued 800mn insurance policies.