Quantum Computing: What IT and Business Leaders Need to Know

Quantum computing, which uses qubits to explore multiple states simultaneously, is emerging as a business priority because it can solve problems intractable for classical computers, including AI training optimization and cryptographic challenges. Lambda Labs reported that training GPT-3 in 2020 cost about $4 million and used the energy of a thousand homes in a year, while frontier models now cost half a billion dollars and draw enough electricity to power a small city for months. Cisco and Cisco U. are providing learning infrastructure to build quantum-ready workforces, and enterprises are urged to prioritize cryptographic migration to post-quantum cryptography.

We have spent a decade riding the wave of artificial intelligence AI , and its ascent has been remarkable. But every technological revolution reaches a moment when the exponential curve starts to feel less like an opportunity and more like a dare. For enterprises and their partners, that moment is now. This time, the challenge comes from the laws of physics. This article explains what quantum computing is, how it affects your business, and what steps to take today. Key takeaways - Quantum computing solves problems that are structurally intractable for classical computers. - It will transform AI training, enterprise security, and network infrastructure. - Cryptographic migration is an urgent priority for enterprise IT teams. - Learn with Cisco and Cisco U. provide the learning infrastructure to build quantum-ready workforces at scale. What is quantum computing? Quantum computing is a new approach to processing information, drawing on the laws of quantum physics rather than classical binary logic. Classical computers use bits that are either zero or one. Quantum computers use qubits. Qubits can be zero and one at once through superposition. This lets quantum systems explore vast solution spaces in parallel rather than one step at a time. Key terms Qubit: The basic unit of quantum data. A qubit can hold a 0 and a 1 at once through superposition. Superposition: The ability of a qubit to exist in more than one state at once, until measured. Entanglement: A quantum link between two qubits. The state of one affects the other, no matter the distance. Post-quantum cryptography: Encryption built to resist attacks from quantum computers. Fault-tolerant quantum computing: A stage at which quantum systems can correct their own errors and run reliably at scale. How does quantum computing differ from classical computing? Classical computers work step by step through binary bits. Quantum computers use qubits to explore many solution paths at once. However, this does not make quantum systems faster at every task. It makes them uniquely suited to problems that are structurally intractable for binary logic. | Area | Classical Computing | Quantum Computing | |---|---|---| Speed | Handles routine, step-by-step tasks well | Explores exponential solution spaces at once | Best use | Daily enterprise workloads | Optimization, simulation, and cryptographic problems | Security impact | Current encryption will be vulnerable | Post-quantum cryptography is built to resist that threat | | Readiness | Mature and widely deployed | Emerging, but real deployments are already live | Why is quantum computing a business priority right now? We are not facing an engineering problem. We are facing a computational physics problem. Lambda Labs found that training GPT-3 in 2020 cost around 4 million dollars and used the energy of a thousand homes in a year. Five years later, frontier models cost half a billion dollars. They draw enough electricity to power a small city for months. The next wave of AI is constrained by limits that raw compute scale cannot fix. Some are math problems. Some are physical. Some are economic. Quantum computing is where those limits begin to give way. How does quantum computing affect AI? Quantum computers are not faster than classical computers. They will not speed up routine enterprise workloads or cut network latency on their own. What they do, and what makes them transformational for AI, is solve specific classes of problems that are structurally intractable for binary logic. A quantum processor can explore an exponential number of possible solutions at once rather than one by one. For AI training, quantum optimization algorithms can find the globally optimal solution across a space so vast that classical computers can only ever sample its edges. What are the business benefits of quantum computing? The impact for enterprise and industry is profound. Quantum computing can shift organizations from slow, step-by-step modeling to real-time simulation. This transforms how businesses handle R&D, logistics, security, and operations. Life sciences and pharma: Drug discovery could shrink from decades to months. Energy firms: Quantum could improve climate modeling and enable better battery design. Manufacturing and materials: Research in Nature on Google DeepMind’s GNoME shows AI can already predict the stability of millions of new materials—key for any industry building next-generation infrastructure. Supply chain and logistics: Quantum optimization could reduce waste and delays at scale. The IEA reports that AI-powered systems already reduce congestion across complex networks. Quantum will extend that further. What is post-quantum security and why does it matter? Post-quantum security refers to cryptographic standards designed to resist attacks from quantum computers. Most current encryption will be at risk once fault-tolerant quantum computing arrives. Enterprises need to begin the critical migration of their cryptographic infrastructure now. The window to act is open. It will not stay open forever. This is the most time-sensitive quantum priority for enterprise IT teams today. How does quantum computing affect network infrastructure? The network is where the quantum advantage becomes real for enterprises, in routing, in security, and in AI inference at the edge. Quantum is not a single product. It is a full rebuild of computing infrastructure. Cisco sits at every critical junction of that shift. Networks carry the data that trains AI and runs its output. Security protects the systems that quantum computers will one day be able to break. Observability tools must work across both classical and quantum environments. Organizations that have built their infrastructure on Cisco are well-placed to extend that investment into the quantum era. Is quantum-safe networking a reality today? Yes. Since March 2025, the Veneto Quantum Communication Infrastructure, or VenQCI, has been fully operational, making the Veneto region of Italy the country’s first quantum-safe network in active service. Built through a landmark collaboration between Regione Veneto, the University of Padova, and motorway operator Concessioni Autostradali Venete, VenQCI provides a secure, high-capacity digital backbone for public institutions, critical infrastructure operators, and citizens. VenQCI is proof that the demand is real. As quantum technology matures, the infrastructure that connects our world needs to remain secure, resilient, and capable of supporting the next wave of innovation that will elevate human potential. Why quantum matters for every business today Here is the part of this story that I believe most leaders miss: the quantum transition is not something you prepare for in 2029. The decisions you make in 2026 will determine whether you arrive at each of those milestones ahead of the curve or scrambling to catch up. Two things in particular cannot wait. Cryptographic infrastructure The first is your cryptographic infrastructure. Adversaries are collecting your encrypted data right now , storing it until a quantum computer powerful enough to decrypt it becomes available. This is the “harvest now, decrypt later” threat. It is not theoretical; it is already happening. Migration to post-quantum cryptographic standards is not a future project. It is an urgent one. AI architecture The second is your AI architecture. Companies building AI systems today with quantum-readiness in mind, modular designs that can take on quantum layers, teams who can evaluate quantum ML frameworks, will have a real structural advantage when hybrid systems enter production. That window is three to four years away. It sounds like plenty of time. It is not. “The companies that treat quantum readiness as a future concern will discover, too late, that the future arrived while they were waiting for permission to act.” At Cisco, we are thinking about this at every layer of the stack. The network is where quantum advantage becomes concrete for enterprises, in routing, security, and AI inference at the edge. We are already integrating post-quantum cryptography into our security portfolio, running hybrid optimization pilots in our network intelligence products, and building the engineering capabilities the quantum era will require. The last exponential is not the end of AI’s story. It is the start of a far more interesting chapter. The same physics that is constraining us today is what will eventually free us, if we are ready for it. This transformation will arrive gradually, then suddenly. By preparing now, our customers will emerge as industry visionaries. Cisco is committed to ensuring they are ready. We are not just predicting this future. We are building it with them. How should enterprises prepare for the quantum era? The most significant challenge enterprises face is not hardware. It is human capital. The transition to quantum-enhanced AI demands a workforce fluent in both classical networking and quantum principles. Yet most firms are just starting to map what that talent gap looks like. This is where workforce investment becomes the competitive edge. Organizations that upskill their engineers, developers, and IT staff now will be equipped to manage, secure, and innovate within quantum-ready architectures. That means going beyond awareness training to building deep, hands-on fluency in quantum concepts, hybrid networks, and post-quantum cryptography. For partners and customers adopting Cisco technology, Learn with Cisco and Cisco U. provide the enterprise learning infrastructure to close that gap at scale. From post-quantum cryptography basics to hybrid networking, the tools are ready now. Where should IT teams start with quantum readiness? For IT teams, the time to act is now. Here is where to start: Network engineers: Explore post-quantum cryptography and quantum-safe security courses on Cisco U. Developers and AI practitioners: Build fluency in quantum optimization and hybrid AI on Cisco learning paths. IT and infrastructure teams: Develop skills in quantum-ready networking and observability to stay ahead of the shift. The skills your teams build today are the foundation for the infrastructure of tomorrow. Visit Cisco U. https://u.cisco.com?utm campaign=ciscou&utm source=blog-cisco&utm medium=blog-quantum-computing-enrico-albertin to explore quantum and AI learning pathways, and start building your quantum-ready workforce. Frequently asked questions: Quantum computing What is quantum computing in simple terms? Quantum computing processes data using the laws of quantum physics rather than binary logic. Instead of bits that are 0 or 1, it uses qubits that can exist in both states at once. This lets quantum systems solve specific classes of problems much faster than any classical computer. What is the difference between quantum computing and classical computing? Classical computers work one step at a time through binary bits. Quantum computers use qubits to check many solution paths at once. Quantum systems are not faster at every task, but they are far more powerful for optimization, simulation, and cryptographic problems. Is quantum computing a threat to cybersecurity? Yes, in time. Fault-tolerant quantum computers will be capable of breaking most current encryption. That is why the migration to post-quantum cryptography is a top priority for enterprise security teams today. The goal is to complete that migration before quantum hardware reaches the scale needed to break current standards. What is post-quantum cryptography? Post-quantum cryptography refers to encryption designed to be secure against attacks from quantum computers. Enterprises should begin planning and executing their migration to these standards now, before fault-tolerant quantum systems arrive at scale. How can businesses prepare for quantum computing? Start with three steps. First, assess your cryptographic infrastructure for quantum risk. Second, invest in training your IT teams in quantum concepts, post-quantum security, and hybrid networking. Third, partner with providers like Cisco that are building quantum-ready infrastructure and training tools today. What is quantum-safe networking? Quantum-safe networking uses encryption protocols built to resist quantum computer attacks. Real deployments are already live, including VenQCI in Italy, which has been running quantum-safe infrastructure since March 2025. How does quantum computing affect AI? Quantum computing can advance AI by enabling optimization algorithms to find globally optimal solutions in spaces too vast for classical computers to fully explore. This could unlock the next wave of AI training and inference. What industries will quantum computing impact first? The most urgent area is security, where migration to post-quantum encryption is already pressing. Beyond that, life sciences, energy, financial services, and supply chain are most likely to see early quantum gains through faster simulation, better optimization, and advanced materials research.