ABSTRACT
Innovating business processes and operations through the use of Artificial Intelligence and other advanced technologies is a top priority for organisations striving for a competitive edge. But solving the most complex optimisation problems quickly with existing classical computers is currently unattainable today. Accordingly, organisations need to leverage advanced technologies and harness additional computing power to solve these highly complex combinatorial problems. Digital Annealer is the world's first quantum-inspired digital technology architecture, capable of performing parallel, real-time optimisation calculations at speed, with precision and on a scale classical computing cannot. It is inspired by the key characteristics of quantum computing - superposition, quantum tunnelling, and entanglement to enable the simultaneous evaluation of a staggering number of potential options and the delivery of lightning-fast insights. Complex large-scale combinatorial problems can be solved in seconds, problems that were previously impossible to solve with classical computers or needed to be processed by brute force, can now be solved in near real-time. Quantum computing can be a daunting topic. It is a disruptive technology that is challenging businesses and individuals in new and interesting ways. It is both a threat and an opportunity to the way we do business. This session looks to describe how Digital Annealer can provide a future proof bridge to Quantum computing while optimising current capabilities across many facets of the Defence ecosystem. We will demonstrate the Digital Annealer technology and services, describe potential and real-world use cases and showcase two current implementations of Digital Annealer within a Defence construct.

BIOGRAPHY
As the Digital Transformation Director (DXD) of Defence at Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand, Brendan works with technology leaders across the sector to help them tackle the next stage of their transformation strategy. With over 15 years of experience in Defence delivery, Brendan has expansive knowledge of the Defence ecosystem across the areas of Cloud, Services, End User Computing, Infrastructure and Applications as well as its effects to the end user. Brendan is a passionate technologist with strong technical capabilities that enable him to assess and integrate solutions for each agency’s unique strategic transformation needs. By focusing on an agency’s requirements to build best-fit solutions, whether entirely ICT, people-based or a combination of both, Brendan adheres to the belief that outcomes should drive the solution and technology should enable the outcome. Defence is at an inflection point where a more dynamic approach is required to leverage the latest technology innovations. Rather than attempting to transform one monolithic environment, technology leaders in Defence will be required to shift focus towards an interoperable system of systems. Brendan's role is to help Defence agencies build open architectures, interoperable cloud models, and edge deployments that will meet their long-term objectives.