New Delhi, India, September 26, 2025: Cisco Systems has announced the launch of a new software solution designed to connect quantum computers from different vendors through the cloud, marking a major step toward building a more collaborative and accessible quantum computing ecosystem.
Unlike many of its tech industry counterparts that are racing to develop their own quantum machines, Cisco is taking a different path. Rather than focusing on hardware, the company is leveraging its core strength in networking to solve a key challenge facing the quantum computing world: the lack of interoperability between machines built on different technologies.
Today’s quantum computers vary significantly in their design. Some use superconducting circuits, while others rely on trapped ions or photonic qubits. These differences make it difficult to develop software that runs across platforms, forcing developers to choose one system and stick with it. Cisco’s new software changes that dynamic.
The platform allows computing tasks to be divided and processed across multiple quantum machine seven if those machines are built using different architectures. It does the heavy lifting behind the scenes, automatically distributing workloads and managing the communication between systems, regardless of the underlying technology.
“Developers shouldn’t have to think about what kind of quantum computer they’re using,” said Vijoy Pandey, Senior Vice President at Cisco’s Outshift innovation lab. “Our software takes care of that complexity, allowing them to focus on the problems they’re trying to solve.”
Scheduled for release next week, the software is part of a broader strategy by Cisco to position itself as a key enabler of the quantum future. The company is also working on specialized networking chips that will help link quantum systems in the cloud, providing the infrastructure needed to scale and integrate quantum resources globally.
Cisco’s approach highlights a shift in the quantum computing industry, where collaboration and system integration are becoming as important as hardware breakthroughs. While the industry continues to search for the most powerful and stable quantum processor, Cisco is betting that helping machines work together will be the key to practical applications in the near term.
This new platform could help developers and researchers bypass current hardware limitations by using a mix of quantum resources. Instead of waiting for a single “perfect” quantum computer to arrive, they can begin creating applications that tap into the strengths of different machines connected and coordinated through Cisco’s software.
The timing couldn’t be better. Interest in quantum computing is rapidly expanding, with billions of dollars being invested globally. Fields like drug discovery, financial modeling, logistics optimization, and climate research are all looking to quantum computing for solutions that go beyond what classical computers can deliver.
Cisco’s new tool aims to bridge the gap between potential and practicality. By simplifying the way quantum machines interact, the company is lowering the barrier for entry into the quantum world. More developers, startups, and research institutions will be able to experiment, innovate, and deploy solutions using multiple systems, without having to master the complexities of each.
Importantly, this strategy reflects Cisco’s long-standing role in building the infrastructure behind the internet and cloud computing. Now, the company is applying the same principles to the next generation of computing.
Rather than competing in the race to build a quantum machine, Cisco is helping create the roads and bridges that will connect them. And in doing so, the company is laying the foundation for a future where quantum computing isn’t siloed or proprietary, but open, scalable, and collaborative.
As the quantum landscape continues to evolve, Cisco’s contribution could be the glue that holds the ecosystem together empowering innovation not through competition, but through connection.
