IBM and Cisco have announced a new collaboration aimed at building a network of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers by the early 2030s. The companies outlined the initiative recently, positioning it as a foundational step toward a future “quantum computing internet.”
The partnership brings together IBM’s roadmap for scalable quantum hardware and Cisco’s work in quantum networking. IBM says linking multiple machines is essential for pushing performance beyond the limits of individual quantum systems. As Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research, puts it, “By working with Cisco to explore how to link multiple quantum computers like these together into a distributed network, we will pursue how to further scale quantum’s computational power.”
Cisco’s role focuses on the networking layer needed to connect those machines reliably. The company is developing a quantum networking architecture designed to preserve fragile quantum states, distribute entanglement and synchronise operations with sub-nanosecond precision. “Getting quantum computing to useful scale is not just about building bigger individual machines, it is also about connecting them together,” said Vijoy Pandey, GM/SVP at Outshift by Cisco.
The two companies expect to demonstrate a proof-of-concept quantum network within five years. That includes exploring microwave–optical transducers and optical-photon interfaces to link machines across buildings or eventually across cities. A network bridge combining new hardware and open-source software could allow Cisco’s quantum nodes to connect many IBM QPUs via a quantum networking unit (QNU), forming the basis of a scalable quantum computing network.
IBM is also working with the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) to determine how many QNUs could operate inside future quantum data centres. A multi-QPU demonstration is planned within the next three years.
As quantum networking emerges as a new layer of compute infrastructure, it arrives alongside a broader shift in enterprise architectures — the same dynamic I explored in The Mainframe Strikes Back, where older systems are proving unexpectedly important in modern workloads.
For more on IBM’s ongoing quantum research, visit IBM Research at https://research.ibm.com.