IBM Promises Enterprise-Ready Quantum Computing By 2029

Source: Steve McDowell | · FORBES · | June 12, 2025

IBM announced plans for its IBM Quantum Starling, a fault-tolerant quantum computer, that brings quantum computing a step closer in a market that has long promised revolutionary capabilities while delivering laboratory curiosities. Starling is a significant shift from experimental technology towards enterprise-ready infrastructure.

The world's first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer, expected by 2029, will finally bridge the gap between quantum potential and business reality.

The Enterprise Problem Quantum Computing Must Solve

Today's most pressing business challenges push classical computing to its limits. Drug discovery timelines span decades, supply chain optimization extends across global networks, and financial risk modeling must navigate volatile markets.

McKinsey estimates that quantum computing could create $1.3 trillion in value by 2035, yet current quantum systems remain too error-prone for meaningful business applications.

The challenge is that existing quantum computers can only execute a few thousand operations before errors accumulate and corrupt results, making them unsuitable for many of the most complex algorithms that drive real business value.

This reliability gap has kept large-scale quantum computing mostly in research labs rather than corporate data centers.

Enabling Enterprise-Grade Quantum Infrastructure

IBM Quantum Starling addresses this fundamental limitation through error correction at an unprecedented scale. The system will operate 200 logical qubits while executing 100 million operations with accuracy.