Companies are rushing to adopt quantum computing, confident that the technology will give them significant competitive advantage, a report from enterprise quantum software company Zapata has claimed.
Time is running out for those who don’t want to be left behind, the report adds, but warns that complexity and the potential for vendor lock-in, is what keeps many firms from going all-in on quantum tech.
After surveying 300 CIOs, CTOs and other VP-level and above executives at large global enterprises, Zapada discovered that three-quarters (74%) agree - failing to adopt quantum computing means being left behind. Time is of the essence, as well, as among those that already started building quantum solutions, almost half (41%) expect to achieve competitive advantage within 24 months. What’s more, the top 12% of adopters expect to be ahead within a year.
Vendor lock-in fears
Of all the potential use cases for quantum computing, two stand out as the biggest ones at the moment - machine learning and data analytics. In the US, 71% are interested in using the advanced tech to address problems regarding these two fields. Machine learning is the most likely use case to deliver near-term value for the enterprise, Zapata concluded.
Basically all respondents (96%) agreed they couldn’t successfully adopt the tech without third-party help, with 73% being concerned with vendor lock-in.
What’s more, half (49%) see the complexity of integrating quantum computing with their existing IT stack as their biggest obstacle to adoption, especially as they don’t think quantum will ever fully replace classical computing. For the time being, almost all near-term access to quantum devices will be remote (via cloud).
Other major hurdles include security, lack of existing advanced capabilities to build on, lack of talent or expertise, and a lack of clear use cases.
“Today, more organizations are realizing that quantum computing is the next frontier in their data analytics capabilities, and if they don’t want to lag behind, they need to start building the infrastructure, applications, and workforce for quantum computing today,” said Christopher Savoie, CEO of Zapata.
“We’re already seeing how the leaders in quantum adoption are separating themselves from the rest of the pack. They are starting to build solutions that strategically leverage today’s quantum devices within mostly classical applications. Those that are the furthest ahead aren’t just investing in quantum to avoid losing — they’re playing to win.”
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