IBM and Cisco unveiled a wide-ranging collaboration to design a distributed quantum computing network capable of linking large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers. The companies aim to demonstrate a multi-system proof-of-concept within five years and target a functional distributed architecture by the early 2030s. Their plan envisions a connected fabric of IBM’s future quantum processors—such as the Quantum Starling platform expected in 2029—interlinked by Cisco’s quantum networking stack and entanglement technologies.
The roadmap calls for entangling qubits across separate cryogenic systems, moving quantum states over microwave-to-optical transducers, synchronizing operations with sub-nanosecond precision, and enabling workloads that may eventually operate across tens to hundreds of thousands of qubits. The companies also outline a path for scaling from short-range, intra-data-center quantum connections to campus-wide and inter-data-center networks, laying the technical foundation for a future quantum computing internet in the late 2030s.
Beyond systems integration, IBM and Cisco plan to co-fund academic research, support ongoing work with the DOE’s SQMS Center, and explore a full stack for quantum networking—ranging from IBM’s proposed Quantum Networking Unit (QNU) to Cisco’s entanglement distribution framework and dynamic control-plane protocols. Together, they intend to define how quantum computers, sensors and communication systems could eventually interoperate across a shared infrastructure.
• Collaboration targets demonstration of multiple networked quantum computers within five years
• IBM to develop QNUs to convert stationary qubits into “flying” qubits for networking
• Cisco to supply entanglement distribution hardware, control-plane software and quantum network nodes
• Joint research to explore microwave-optical transducers, optical-photon technologies, and long-distance qubit transport
• Distributed architectures designed to support workloads requiring trillions of quantum gates and HPC-class integration
“At IBM, our roadmap includes plans to deliver large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers before the end of the decade,” said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow.
🌐 Analysis:
This partnership aligns IBM’s aggressive push toward fault-tolerant quantum systems with Cisco’s emerging quantum networking portfolio, signaling that scale-out architectures will become central to next-generation quantum computing. It also mirrors broader industry moves—including efforts by Google, AWS, Xanadu and national labs—to explore modular, network-based quantum platforms rather than monolithic single-system machines. Cisco’s involvement highlights the expanding role that classical networking vendors may play as quantum-classical hybrid systems become more distributed and data-center-aligned.
