- The big question left now is:
When will quantum computers be generally available?
There's a common refrain in the industry
that we're about 10 years out
from mainstream quantum computing.
However, that's been said each year for many years already.
Joking aside, for the first time,
it appears that there's a significant positive momentum.
In the next few years,
we're going to see big breakthroughs
and announcements from vendors and customers alike.
We'll see a huge uptick in media coverage
and overall interest across various stakeholder communities.
Major global governments will continue their investments
and further develop their position and policy statements.
Governments already engaged
include those in the European Union, Australia,
Canada, Singapore, the United States, and China.
For all, this is clearly a matter of competitiveness,
but also a serious issue of security.
In addition to a small set
of commercially available quantum computers,
we're going to see more quantum processing capabilities
offered from major and emerging technology vendors
through the cloud.
It appears to me that this will like be
the provisioning model for many years to come
as the notion of quantum computing inside a laptop
or smartphone isn't a viable path anytime soon.
This is the time to get engaged
in the quantum computing space.
Opportunities and first mover advantages are abundant.
You'll be well served
by continuing your learning in this space.
I suggest getting a little deeper
into the technical aspects then check out
what some of the major technology players are doing
and also look at several of the many startups
that are emerging.
You'll also find excellent resources posted online
from many universities around the world.
They've been working on quantum for some time
and several have entire departments dedicated to it.
Follow experts and organizations in social media.
Consider joining some meet-ups,
and if one doesn't exist in your area, start one.
I've created LinkedIn Learning courses
on several of the other technologies and trends cited.
These include Blockchain technology,
smart cities, and a deep exploration
of the fourth industrial revolution.
I've been working in various roles in technology, business,
and government for 30 years.
Quantum computing may be the most fascinating
and potentially the most disruptive new technology
I've ever encountered.
From the pure weirdness
and wonder of the physics of the very small
to the potential human impacts
of a massively superior computing platform,
this is an area of consequence.
Before we get too excited,
we also need to be realistic in expectations.
We've come a long way, but major work continues to be ahead.
From creating more system stability
to implementing fault tolerance
to supporting greater numbers of qubits,
and building the ecosystem of software, hardware,
and service providers, our challenges are not trivial.
Could it all fail?
It's possible, but the likelihood decreases every day.
Today, the near-term goal is credible quantum supremacy.
This is when a quantum computer can process a computation
faster than the best classical computers.
Some say we've already done it, but others dispute it.
I think we'll be there when there is consensus
among the technology players in the scientific community.
We also need to establish standards.
They will come, but we've hardly even begun.
The future is bright and I'm optimistic
about quantum computing.
I hope you are too.
Here's the spooky action at a distance.
Good luck.