What is Quantum Computing, and What Are the Sustainable IT, Data Center and Energy Implications for Channel Partners?

Quantum computing chips and associated services are under development from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, IBM and many other companies. But when will quantum chips, hardware and associated applications arrive, and what are the potential implications for sustainability, climate tech and science research?

With those questions and others in mind, this regularly updated blog tracks statements and milestones from:

• Hyperscale cloud providers such as AWS, Google, and Microsoft;
• enterprise IT giants such as IBM;
• GPU and chip companies such as Nvidia; and
• pure-play upstarts D-Wave Quantum, IonQ and Rigetti Computing.

What is Quantum Computing and Why Does It Matter?

Generally speaking, quantum computing uses specialized technology—including computer hardware, software and algorithms that take advantage of quantum mechanics—to solve complex problems, IBM asserts. By contrast, classic computers and existing supercomputers can’t solve, or can’t solve such problems quickly enough, IBM says.

The current quantum computing market is relatively small since these applications require new types of hardware and software -- much of which is remains under development. Still, analysts are bullish about the market potential since the new systems may help scientists to tackle climate tech, healthcare, sustainability and medical challenges.

With those and other opportunities in mind, annual quantum computing revenue will reach $12.6 billion by 2032, up from $1.2 billion in 2024, Fortune Business Insights predicts. That's a 34.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), the researcher notes.

Quantum Computing Developments, Milestones, Partnerships and Product Launches

Here's a timeline tracking quantum computing chips, hardware, software and cloud services developments -- and the potential implications for sustainable IT partners.

March 2026 - Public Listing: Xanadu Quantum Technologies, a photonic quantum computing company, is now publicly listed on the Nasdaq and Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "XNDU." The listing emerged after Xanadu merged with Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

March 2026 - Google R&D: Google Quantum AI is expanding its quantum computing research to include neutral atom quantum computing, which uses individual atoms as qubits, alongside superconducting, the company said. "In expert jargon, we often say that superconducting processors are easier to scale in the time dimension (circuit depth), while neutral atoms are easier to scale in the space dimension (qubit count)," the company said. 

March 2026 - Potential Benefits: Quantum technologies could help cut energy use of information and communications technology and unlock new climate and environmental solutions—if they are harnessed wisely, according to McKinsey.

February 2026 - United States Strategy: The White House is reportedly drafting an executive order (EO) that's designed to strengthen the U.S. quantum ecosystem, JD Supra reported.

January 2026 - M&A: IonQ is acquiring SkyWater Technology for a total equity value of roughly $1.8 billion. The deal positions "IonQ to materially accelerate its quantum computing roadmap and secure its fully scalable supply chain domestically," the buyer said.

January 2026 - Software Development Kit: Microsoft has released the Quantum Development Kit (QDK)-- an open-source developer toolkit for building quantum applications. The software runs on laptops, and GitHub Copilot "makes it quick and easy to get started," the company asserts.

January 2026 - Research Competition: Microsoft has launched the 2026 Quantum Pioneers Program (QuaPP), which is designed to advance the development of measurement-based quantum computing (MBQC), Quantum Computing Report stated. The program will select up to five research proposals, each eligible for an award of up to $200,000 delivered as a gift. The 12-month program is set to begin in August 2026, the report said.

January 2026 - Funding: Equal1, a developer of rack-mounted quantum computers, has raised $60 million to "accelerate development of scalable, silicon-based quantum computers and deployment of its datacenter-ready Bell-1 quantum server," the firm said. Valuation terms were not disclosed. Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) led the round, with participation from Atlantic Bridge, the European Innovation Council Fund, Matterwave Ventures, Enterprise Ireland, Elkstone and TNO Ventures.

January 2026 - IPO for Quantum Computing Startup?: Honeywell is exploring plans for a potential Quantinuum IPO. Quantinuum, a full-stack quantum computing provider, raised $600 million at a pre-money equity valuation of $10 billion in September 2025. The company had 630 employees, including 370+ scientists and engineers at the time of that September 2025 equity raise. Honeywell is Quantinuum's majority owner.

January 2026 - Venture Capital Funding: Photonic has raised $130 million in a new funding round. Planet First Partners led the rough, with participation from Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Tellus and others. Existing investors Microsoft and BCI also participated in the round. Photonic has raised $271 million to date.

November 20 - IBM and Cisco Partnership: IBM and Cisco Systems are partnering to explore networked distributed quantum computing. The companies are targeting an initial proof-of-concept demonstration by the end of 2030. The work could set the stage for a quantum computing Internet by the late 2030s, the duo said. Related: Cisco sustainability and IBM sustainability strategies.

November 18 - Quantum Computing Partnership: NTT and OptQC are partnering to accelerate the market for optical quantum computing solutions, the two companies said. Among the potential benefits: Improved scalability, faster processing and enhanced energy efficiency, the companies said. Related: NTT sustainability strategy

November 12 - IBM Milestone: IBM is "rapidly delivering milestones towards building the world's first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029," the technology company said.

November 10 - New Alliance: HPE has formed the Quantum Scaling Alliance, a "global initiative dedicated to making quantum computing scalable, practical, and transformative across industries." Co-leaders include Masoud Mohseni from HPE Labs and Qolab CTO John Martinis. Founding members include: 1QBit, Applied Materials, Inc., HPE, Qolab, Quantum Machines, Riverlane, Synopsys and University of Wisconsin.

November 7 - Quantum Computing Data Center: Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech has launched a Quantum Data Center in Barcelona, Spain. The center can host up to 10 quantum computers, while also offering Qilimanjaro’s Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) platform, SpeQtrum.

November 5 - Board Room Update: Aparna Prabhakar, chief strategy & sustainability officer of Schneider Electric’s $32 billion Energy Management business, has joined QuantWare's board as a non-executive member. The move signals QuantWare's combined focus on quantum computing and sustainability. Prabhakar previously was VP of quantum ecosystem at IBM.

October 23 - Potential US Government Investments: Several quantum-computing companies are in talks to give the Commerce Department equity stakes in exchange for federal funding, a signal that the Trump administration is expanding its interventions in what it sees as critical segments of the economy, The Wall Street Journal reported. The discussions involve IonQ, Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum, the report said.

October 22 - Milestone: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said the tech giant's quantum computing chip, known as Willow, has achieved the “first-ever verifiable quantum advantage," SeekingAlpha reported.

Quantum Computing and Sustainable Technology: May 2025 Updates

May 6 - University Research: Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Rochester recently connected their campuses with an experimental quantum communications network using two optical fibers, the two organizations said.

May 6 - Cisco Quantum Networks: Cisco Systems has launched a Quantum Networking Lab in Santa Monica, California. Cisco also unveiled a prototype quantum entanglement chip developed with UC Santa Barbara. Cisco’s quantum networking roadmap seeks to "accelerate the timeline for practical quantum computing from decades to a few years," the company said.

May 5 - IBM Quantum Subscription Services: IBM has unveiled Quantum Flex Plan, a" new access model designed to offer flexibility and simplicity in running experiments on IBM Quantum hardware." The subscription starts at $30,000.

May 2 - Quantum Computing and IT Services: IBM and Tata Consultancy Services are partnering to further develop India’s quantum computing industry. The effort will likely involve an IBM quantum computer deployment at a major technology park in India.

Continue to next page for previous Quantum Computing blog updates.