The tech giant joins Google and IBM in predicting that a fundamental change in computing technology is much closer than recently believed. Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled a new chip that it said showed quantum computing is “years,

The processor uses qubits that can be measured without error and are resistant to outside interference, which the company says marks a “transformative leap toward practical quantum computing.”

Alphabet ( GOOGL -2.65%) ( GOOG -2.71%), Google's parent company, has been invested in quantum computing for years, but it recently made an advancement that positioned it as a standout company in the space. Alphabet introduced Willow, a new quantum computing processor it believes is a big step forward.