IBM Links Two 120-Qubit Nighthawk Chips While Expanding Its AI Agent Toolkit
Published on 10/30/2026 at 15:01 | Editorial boerse-global.de
IBM researchers said Tuesday they had connected two Nighthawk quantum processors, each carrying 120 qubits, using superconducting L-couplers. The company reported an average fidelity of 99% for the transfer of quantum states between the chips — a figure that applies specifically to state transfer, not to any broader performance rating of the systems. The work has so far appeared only as a scientific preprint and has not yet undergone independent peer review.
The quantum disclosure landed alongside a broader product push. IBM unveiled capabilities for identifying and controlling AI agents inside enterprise systems, spanning agent discovery, verified identities, access controls and performance evaluation. Those tools build on Agent Identity, which became generally available on Monday and covers registration of agent identities, delegation of authority, and enforcement of rules and governance policies.
Identity Controls and a Converged Platform
Access permissions and access controls run through HashiCorp Vault, with the announced features including managed agent identities, permissions limited to what is strictly necessary, and real-time revocation. Tools from watsonx Orchestrate are intended to help discover, contain and evaluate agents across platforms. IBM had already announced its Integration Intelligence Hub on Monday; the offering is designed to give AI agents enterprise-specific integration context, capabilities and controlled tools, and IBM plans to launch it first as a software service.
Separately, IBM Concert is now available as a software service or for on-premises operation. The platform bundles IT system monitoring, capacity optimization, incident management and security risk management into a single offering.
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Tennis Partnership Extended to 2031
IBM's AI credentials also got an outside showcase. Platforms supported by the company logged more than 270 million interactions during this year's US Open, according to the USTA. On Wednesday, the USTA and IBM announced a five-year extension of their partnership, keeping IBM as the tournament's official artificial intelligence and cloud partner through 2031.
Software Growth Draws a Closer Look
The commercial backdrop comes from quarterly results published on October 21. IBM reported third-quarter revenue of $17.1 billion, up 5% year over year. Operating diluted earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis rose 11% to $2.95. Software revenue climbed 8%, while consulting revenue was flat.
Reuters reported on October 22 that roughly $250 million of the software growth came from deals pulled forward from the prior quarter. Questions about the durability of the software recovery weighed on the stock after the numbers, according to that report. IBM kept its full-year guidance for currency-adjusted revenue growth at 4%–5%, while lifting its forecast for software revenue growth to 7%–8%.
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Analysts moved their targets higher the same day. Goldman Sachs raised its IBM price target to $300 from $270 and reaffirmed its buy rating, according to media reports. JPMorgan lifted its target to $269 from $250 and maintained an overweight rating.
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