Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Third quarter revenue was $460 million, a decline of 7.4% year over year or 9% in constant currency [26] - Non-GAAP operating profit was $25 million, with a non-GAAP operating margin of 5.4% [32] - The company generated $20 million of free cash flow in the third quarter, an improvement from $14 million in the prior year period [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Digital Workplace Solutions (DWS) revenue was $125 million, down 5.8% year over year [27] - Cloud Applications and Infrastructure (CA&I) revenue was $180 million, a 6.8% decline compared to the prior year [28] - Enterprise Computing Solutions (ECS) revenue was $133 million, a 13.9% year-over-year decline [29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The total contract value (TCV) for new business in the third quarter was $124 million, in line with solid levels from the second quarter [9] - The pricing environment remains competitive, with clients seeking to share in AI cost savings [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on improving delivery and operational efficiency to navigate macroeconomic uncertainties [4] - There is a commitment to executing a pension strategy aimed at removing U.S. pension liabilities [5] - The company is investing in AI-driven productivity solutions and workforce optimization to enhance delivery efficiency [8][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that revenue was impacted by timing issues, including a shift of a large license and support renewal to the fourth quarter [6] - Concerns about federal funding and the ongoing U.S. government shutdown have affected client project initiation [6][57] - The company expects to generate approximately $110 million of pre-pension free cash flow for the full year [39] Other Important Information - The company received recognition as a leader in cloud services for mid-market enterprises and was named to Time Magazine's 2025 list of the world's best companies [23][24] - The trailing 12-month signings amounted to approximately $2 billion, translating to a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1x [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: How is AI impacting overall P&L? - Management indicated that AI is helping reduce delivery costs, improving margin profiles, and increasing consumption rates in the L&S business [41][42] Question: What is enabling margin performance despite revenue shortfall? - The increase in L&S revenue and successful renewal activity with higher margin profiles are contributing to margin performance [44][45] Question: What is the demand for cloud spending, particularly on AI? - Demand for AI applications is strong, but the adoption is sensitive due to security and other factors [51][52] Question: Update on public sector demand amid government shutdown? - There has been a pause in project work in the U.S. public sector, with some areas showing constant demand [56][57] Question: Is pricing pressure a new development? - Pricing pressure has been ongoing, with competitors undercutting prices, but the company remains disciplined in contract negotiations [58][59]

Core Insights - Quantum artificial intelligence (AI) combines quantum computing with AI systems to enhance processing speed and resource efficiency, currently in the research phase with no widespread commercial adoption yet [1] - Early movers in this field include Alphabet and D-Wave Quantum, making them potential long-term investment opportunities due to their involvement in this emerging technology [2] Alphabet - Alphabet initiated a new hype cycle in quantum computing with the introduction of Willow, a quantum chip that significantly reduces error rates [3] - Despite Willow's current error rate being thousands of times higher than classical chips, it demonstrates progress towards practical large-scale quantum computers, completing a benchmark computation in about five minutes that would take a classical supercomputer 10 septillion years [4] - The computational power of these machines is expected to have commercial applications in drug discovery, logistics, and materials science, with even greater potential synergies with generative AI [5] Research Developments - Recent research from Google suggests that quantum computers could not only solve complex problems but also generate results independently, akin to large language models but on a much larger scale [6] - Quantum-powered AI has the potential to discover unseen molecular structures, which could revolutionize various industries [7] Financial Performance - Alphabet's diverse revenue streams, including a robust online search business, provide the financial resources necessary to invest in quantum computing research, with Q2 revenue increasing 14% year-over-year to $92.4 billion and net income rising 19% to $28.2 billion [8]

Core Viewpoint - Analysts may be underestimating the potential of certain quantum AI stocks, presenting a contrarian investment opportunity as Wall Street may not fully recognize their value [1][2]. Company Summaries Alphabet - Alphabet is the largest communication services stock globally and the fourth-largest across all sectors, known for its Google ecosystem and a leader in quantum computing through its Google Quantum AI unit [3]. - Despite a recent surge in stock performance, analysts predict a decline in momentum, with the consensus 12-month price target below the current share price; however, 54 out of 65 analysts rated it as a buy or better, indicating strong potential [4]. - The impact of Google Quantum AI on stock performance is expected to be minimal in the next 12 months, but AI technologies not reliant on quantum computing are anticipated to drive significant revenue growth for Google Cloud [5]. IonQ - IonQ focuses entirely on quantum computing and AI, achieving significant milestones such as improved classification accuracy in large language models [6]. - Following a strong performance in early 2025, IonQ's stock has surged, but analysts predict a decline, with the consensus 12-month price target significantly below the current share price [7]. - Despite concerns over profitability and a high price-to-sales ratio of 303, six out of eight analysts rated IonQ as a buy or strong buy, reflecting confidence in its technology and strategic acquisitions [8][9]. Rigetti Computing - Rigetti gained attention for reducing its two-qubit gate error rate and launching the Cepheus 1-36Q, the largest multichip quantum computer [10]. - The company has performed well in the quantum computing sector, but analysts expect a downturn, with the average 12-month price target nearly 50% below the current share price [11]. - All three analysts covering Rigetti recommend buying the stock, despite lower price targets, and the company is positioned to benefit from advancements in quantum computing and AI [12].

Imagine [Applause] [Music] someone you love is diagnosed with an incurable disease. Think of the hopelessness and urgency you would feel wishing for that miracle cure. Now imagine a machine that can test countless treatments in the blink of an eye.Finding that cure in weeks instead of years. What once was incurable might just suddenly become treatable. This is not science fiction or even a gizmo from Tony Stark's garage.No, this is the potential of quantum artificial intelligence or Q AI and it's becoming v ...

Core Insights - MicroCloud Hologram Inc. is developing Continuous Variable Quantum Neural Networks (CV-QNN) technology to enhance quantum artificial intelligence capabilities [1][8] - The CV-QNN technology integrates classical neural network structures within quantum computing frameworks, aiming to improve computational efficiency and expand application areas [8][11] Technology Overview - CV-QNN utilizes affine transformations and nonlinear mappings through continuously parameterized quantum gates, distinguishing itself from discrete variable architectures [2][6] - The architecture employs Gaussian gates for linear operations and non-Gaussian gates for nonlinear activation functions, enabling complex feature representation [3][4] - The layered structure of CV-QNN mirrors multilayer perceptrons in classical networks, allowing for complex nonlinear transformations while maintaining quantum coherence [5] Performance and Applications - CV-QNN leverages quantum superposition and entanglement, potentially offering exponential speedup in processing large-scale data [6] - Applications include efficient image classification, object detection, text generation, and market forecasting, showcasing versatility across various fields [7][8] Challenges and Future Prospects - The technology faces challenges such as quantum hardware stability and optimization of computational resources, which require further research [9][10] - As quantum hardware and software improve, the performance and application scope of CV-QNN are expected to expand significantly [10][11]