QCOS, the quantum operating system from SoftQuantus
A quantum operating system sits between the people and tools that write quantum programs and the computers that run them. QCOS is the one SoftQuantus builds: one contract to write, compile, run and check a quantum program, and a sealed record of every job.
Today QCOS runs CPU state-vector simulation up to 24 qubits. Quantum hardware and HPC capacity are reached through Softquantus Cloud, which is in development, and every result says how it was produced.
- One contract
- API, SDK, CLI, MCP and HiQ
- Every job
- Sealed under a SHA-256 Merkle root
- Offline check
- Open-source verifier (MIT)
The category
What a quantum operating system does
A classical operating system hides the machine behind a stable interface, decides what runs when, and keeps a record. A quantum operating system does the same for quantum computers, whose hardware, noise and access rules change from one machine to the next.
QCOS does it in four parts: a runtime that takes the job, a hardware abstraction layer that speaks to each backend, a kernel that schedules and applies policy, and an evidence system that seals what ran.
Hardware abstraction
Programs are written against QCOS, not against one vendor's interface.
Scheduling and policy
A scheduler, policies and resource management decide where and when a job runs.
Compilation
HiQ programs are checked and compiled by QCOS before they run.
Evidence
The circuit, parameters, execution, result and runtime of each job are hashed and sealed.
The parts of QCOS
Each part, and its stage today
Stages follow the product lifecycle. A part moves to the next stage only when it passes that stage's gate.
Runtime and REST API
One REST API at api.softquantus.com for circuits, algorithms and error correction, authenticated with an API key.
API referencePython SDK and CLI
softqcos-sdk and the softqcos CLI on PyPI, versioned, so you decide when to upgrade.
SDKs and toolsMCP server for AI agents
softqcos-mcp offers the QCOS runtime to AI agents as tools; the server lists them to each client.
MCP integrationHiQ programming language
Four layers, from objects to pulses. Check and compile HiQ programs through QCOS today.
HiQEvidence and offline verifier
Each job is sealed under an RFC 9162 Merkle root, and softquantus-verify recomputes it offline.
Verified resultsQuantum hardware and HPC capacity
Hardware drivers and HPC capacity are added in Softquantus Cloud, not in QCOS, so every machine is reached the same way.
Infrastructure cloudEditions
QCOS Community Runtime and QCOS Enterprise
The Community Runtime is what a developer, a lab or a hardware team uses to start. Enterprise adds managed capacity, support and governance under a contract. The stage column says what you can rely on today.
| Edition | What it includes | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Community Runtime | API specification of the QCOS runtime | Available |
| Community Runtime | Simulator adapter for CPU state-vector runs up to 24 qubits | Available |
| Community Runtime | Basic drivers and adapters for quantum hardware | In development |
| Community Runtime | Slurm, QRMI and QDMI integration for HPC centres | Roadmap |
| Community Runtime | HiQ check and compile | Available |
| Community Runtime | HiQ local simulator and developer tools | In development |
| Community Runtime | Evidence format and the offline verifier softquantus-verify | Available |
| Enterprise | Managed QCOS Cloud in West Europe | Available |
| Enterprise | OEM support and service levels agreed in the contract | Preview · request access |
| Enterprise | Advanced governance and multi-tenant workspaces | Preview · request access |
| Enterprise | HPC and quantum hardware capacity, billed per use | In development |
| Enterprise | QuantumLock Enterprise: post-quantum signing, licensing and inventory | In production |
QCOS source code is not published; the client packages are on PyPI and the verifier is open source under MIT. Results from QCOS today come from simulators, and each one carries an execution_mode label.
How to judge one
Six questions to ask any quantum operating system
These are the questions SoftQuantus answers for QCOS. Ask them of every option you compare.
- Is it tied to one vendor?
- NoPrograms target QCOS. Hardware lanes are added in Softquantus Cloud, so the program does not depend on one vendor's interface.
- Can you prove what ran?
- Sealed evidence per jobCircuit, parameters, execution, result and runtime are hashed with SHA-256 and sealed under a Merkle root you can recompute offline.
- Does it say how a result was produced?
- execution_mode on every resultA simulator result is labelled as one. Nothing is presented as hardware output that did not run on hardware.
- How do people and agents reach it?
- API, SDK, CLI, MCP and HiQThe same contract through REST, Python, the command line, AI agents and a quantum programming language.
- Where does it run?
- Managed cloud, or your siteThe managed service runs in West Europe. On-premise and air-gapped deployment patterns are scoped per engagement.
- Is the trust layer post-quantum?
- ML-DSA (FIPS 204)QuantumLock signs and licenses with ML-DSA from liboqs. It is not CAVP-validated.
Questions
Quantum operating system questions
What is a quantum operating system?
The software layer between quantum programs and quantum computers. It hides each machine behind one interface, schedules jobs and applies policy, compiles programs for the target, and keeps a record of what ran.
Which quantum operating system does SoftQuantus build?
QCOS. It is reached through a REST API, the softqcos-sdk Python package, the softqcos CLI, the softqcos-mcp server for AI agents and the HiQ programming language, and it seals evidence for every job.
Does QCOS run on quantum hardware today?
Not yet. QCOS runs CPU state-vector simulation up to 24 qubits. Quantum hardware is reached through Softquantus Cloud, which is in development, and every result carries an execution_mode label that says how it was produced.
Is QCOS open source?
No. QCOS source code is private. The client packages are published on PyPI, and the evidence verifier softquantus-verify is open source under the MIT licence, so anyone can check a result without trusting SoftQuantus.
Does QCOS work with Slurm, QRMI or QDMI?
That integration is on the roadmap and is not available yet. See HPC centres for what QCOS offers a computing centre today.
What is the difference between the Community Runtime and Enterprise?
The Community Runtime covers the API specification, adapters, HiQ tools and the evidence format with its offline verifier. Enterprise adds the managed QCOS Cloud, contracted support, governance for many teams, capacity billed per use and QuantumLock Enterprise.
How do I start?
Create an API key on platform.softquantus.com, install softqcos-sdk with pip, and run a first job on the simulator. The API page shows a full request.
See QCOS run your first job
Bring an algorithm to a demo and leave with a result and the evidence to recheck it offline.