University of Kwazulu-Natal

Why Ibm S Ceo Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
why ibm s ceo thinks his company can crack quantum computing

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in. Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates. New machines will use individual atoms as qubits The goal of the quantum-computing industry is to build a powerful, functional machine capable of solving large-scale problems in science and industry that classical computing can’t solve. We won’t get there in 2026. In fact, scientists have been working toward that goal since at least the 1980s, and it has proved difficult, to say the least.

“If someone says quantum computers are commercially useful today, I say I want to have what they’re having,” said Yuval Boger, chief commercial officer of the quantum-computing startup QuEra, on stage at the Q+AI... This article is part of our special report Top Tech 2026. Because the goal is so lofty, tracking its progress has also been difficult. To help chart a course toward truly transformative quantum technology and mark milestones along the path, the team at Microsoft Quantum has come up with a new framework. More than a century after its first punch‐card tabulators helped the U.S. Census count a growing nation, International Business Machines Corp.

(IBM) is again surprising skeptics. Once written off as a lumbering mainframe relic, “Big Blue” has again captured Wall Street’s attention with a fresh strategy that combines hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, and an ambitious, long-term play in quantum computing,... Revenues are growing again, its stock reached an all-time high in February 2025, and CEO Arvind Krishna is credibly pitching IBM as the platform provider for the next era of enterprise tech. How did a 114-year-old company reverse decades of stagnation? The answer lies in an unbroken habit of reinvention—from punch-cards to quantum bits—that is once more reshaping IBM’s future. IBM’s story begins with Herman Hollerith’s electromechanical tabulators in the 1890s and the 1911 merger that created the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, renamed IBM in 1924.

Punched cards became the data medium of the 20th century, and by the 1960s, IBM’s System/360 mainframe made “Big Blue” synonymous with enterprise computing. That glory, though, faded fast. By 1993, increased competition, scrappy Silicon Valley startups, and collapsing hardware margins left IBM with billions in losses and a breakup plan on the boardroom table as its personal computer and server businesses lagged. Incoming CEO Lou Gerstner stopped the split, slashed costs, and pivoted the company toward integrated services—a first major rescue that restored profitability by the late 1990s. After spending much of the 2010s in the doldrums, IBM has made something of a comeback in the past five years under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna. That's thanks to a lot of the success in its hybrid cloud business, as well as its consulting services.

All of this has led to a surge in the company's share price. Now, IBM is betting that quantum computing will be the next big thing. But will Big Blue succeed against rivals like Microsoft and Google who are racing to make their own quantum breakthroughs? And how is the company learning from its past mistakes with Watson AI? Arvind Krishna speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE ‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0 To listen to explicit episodes, sign in. Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.

People Also Search

To Listen To Explicit Episodes, Sign In. Sign In Or

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in. Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates. New machines will use individual atoms as qubits The goal of the quantum-computing industry is to build a powerful, functional machine capable of solving large-scale problems in science and industry that classical computing can’t solve. We won’t get there in 2026. In fact, scient...

“If Someone Says Quantum Computers Are Commercially Useful Today, I

“If someone says quantum computers are commercially useful today, I say I want to have what they’re having,” said Yuval Boger, chief commercial officer of the quantum-computing startup QuEra, on stage at the Q+AI... This article is part of our special report Top Tech 2026. Because the goal is so lofty, tracking its progress has also been difficult. To help chart a course toward truly transformativ...

(IBM) Is Again Surprising Skeptics. Once Written Off As A

(IBM) is again surprising skeptics. Once written off as a lumbering mainframe relic, “Big Blue” has again captured Wall Street’s attention with a fresh strategy that combines hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, and an ambitious, long-term play in quantum computing,... Revenues are growing again, its stock reached an all-time high in February 2025, and CEO Arvind Krishna is credibly pitching IBM...

Punched Cards Became The Data Medium Of The 20th Century,

Punched cards became the data medium of the 20th century, and by the 1960s, IBM’s System/360 mainframe made “Big Blue” synonymous with enterprise computing. That glory, though, faded fast. By 1993, increased competition, scrappy Silicon Valley startups, and collapsing hardware margins left IBM with billions in losses and a breakup plan on the boardroom table as its personal computer and server bus...

All Of This Has Led To A Surge In The

All of this has led to a surge in the company's share price. Now, IBM is betting that quantum computing will be the next big thing. But will Big Blue succeed against rivals like Microsoft and Google who are racing to make their own quantum breakthroughs? And how is the company learning from its past mistakes with Watson AI? Arvind Krishna speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the lat...