19 May 2021

NEEDHAM, Mass., May 19, 2021 –Investments in quantum computing are expected to increase in the next 24 months, according to new survey results from International Data Corporation (IDC). The number of organizations allocating more than 17% of their annual IT budgets for this technology are expected to rise from 7% in 2021 to an estimated 19% in 2023. These investments will be driven by organizations seeking to achieve a competitive advantage by using quantum computing technology to improve and accelerate business processes with enhanced AI capabilities, better security, and optimized algorithms.

Recent IDC survey findings indicate that, at the start of 2021, one fifth of companies interested in quantum computing technology reported current usage and two thirds expect to be experimenting with this technology in the next 18-24 months. This growth is due to global enterprises investing in cloud-based platforms that provide access to quantum computing hardware and software, hiring quantum specialists, training quantum developers, and collaborating with quantum vendors to develop new business solutions.

Complex technology, skillset limitations, lack of available resources, and cost deter some organizations from investing in quantum computing technology. To ease these concerns, quantum computing vendors, select cloud-service providers, and independent software vendors are offering quantum cloud-based solutions that allow organizations to experiment with this technology. Combined, quantum computing infrastructure as a service (QCIaaS), platform as a service (QCPaaS), and software as a service (QCSaaS) offerings provide organizations access to the quantum computing technology, applications, technical support, and other resources needed to begin the quantum journey. Technical and business consultancy services are also gaining popularity. These services help clients determine the value of adopting quantum computing technology, develop and test quantum algorithms, and become more resilient in a post-quantum era.

"Quantum computing is the future industry and infrastructure disruptor for organizations looking to use large amounts of data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to accelerate real-time business intelligence and innovate product development. Many organizations — from many industries — are already experimenting with its potential today to gain a competitive advantage tomorrow," said Heather West, senior research analyst, Infrastructure Systems, Platforms, and Technology at IDC. "Organizations interested in quantum computing should not be deterred from investing in this technology as it is likely to become an industry disruptor."

"Even though quantum computing is still in a nascent stage, the interest as well as the number of European companies engaging with quantum projects is constantly growing. The most innovative companies across industries have understood that the identification and development of quantum business use cases should start right away," said Stefano Perini, senior research analyst, European Quantum Computing Launchpad co-lead at IDC. "This push is hence progressively contributing to the development of an actual European quantum computing market which is growing year on year."

The IDC report, Enterprise IT Infrastructure Survey, 1Q21: Insights on End-User 2021 IT Compute Infrastructure Priorities and Adoption of Quantum Computing (IDC #US47687021), presents results of IDC's 1Q21 Enterprise IT Infrastructure for Compute Survey. Completed in April 2021, this survey examines end users' planned 2021 server IT infrastructure and usage patterns, trends in adoption and deployment of compute, accelerated compute, and IT automation infrastructure. Other topics covered in this survey include modelling and simulation, AI, and big data analytic workloads, as well as the emergence and adoption of quantum computing technology.

The survey is part of IDC's Quantum Computing research, which is available through IDC's Performance Intensive Computing CIS. This research includes qualitative and quantitative research focusing on end-user adoption trends, vendor insights and strategies, and quantum computing use cases. IDC's quantum computing research provides insight into the demand-side of cloud-based quantum computing, including preferred technologies and end-user investment, implementation, and adoption strategies, vendor insights, and quantum computing use cases. More information about the quantum computing market can be found in IDC's Worldwide Quantum Computing Taxonomy, 2021 .