Quantum technology: Why software is the key to success!

Quantum technology: Why software is the key to success!

In the rapidly developing world of quantum computers, there are always exciting developments to report. However, current analyzes of industry experts show that many of the existing road maps of the leading companies neglect a decisive aspect: software support for end users. Doug Finke, a former product manager at Intel, draws a clear balance in his article on [Quantum Computing Report] (https://quantumcomputtingreport.com/here-is-whats-from-all-those-quantum- Roadmap/). While the hardware and QEC implementations are put in the foreground, many companies do not recognize that without a complete software ecosystem, including development tools, training and support, access to quantum computing remains severely restricted.

The more it becomes apparent that hybrid quantum computing-the interaction between classic and quantum computers-is becoming more important. An article submitted on March 14, 2025 and revised on April 25, 2025, illuminates this transformation towards hybrid systems in which the efficiency of the classic machines and the theoretical speed advantages of quantum machines are combined. The authors, including Vincenzo de Maio, manage to prepare the challenges of identifying quantum candidates in code fragments. Currently, this identification is often a lengthy-and-terroric process that requires a lot of expertise and thus slow down the potential advantages of quantum computing.

The challenges of quantum road maps

The main problem remains that many quantum road maps often only shed light on the hardware aspects. Finke points out that in order to actually achieve quantum advantage, both hardware and software improvements are necessary. This hybrid view is also shown in the architecture of Azure Quantum, which enables quantum computers to program with both classic and quantum mechanical instructions. While hybrid approaches are promising, the real implementation is still with some challenges. For example, the efficient connection of QPUs and classic CPUs must ensure that data flows and tasks work without delays.

Here Microsoft's Azure Quantum comes into play. The service enables batch quantum computing, in which several quantum circuits can be transmitted as a single job, which significantly reduces waiting times. In practice, however, it is striking that Azure Quantum is currently not supporting batch quantum computing-a crucial point that can make a huge difference for the users.

The key to effective hybrid quantum programs

Another central element that emerges from de Maios article is the need to develop automated techniques for code-to-code translations. This requires systematic formalization of the processes and strong interdisciplinary cooperation. Because only through the close cooperation between computer scientists and physicists are solutions created that not only work theoretically, but also in practical use.

FINKE emphasizes that smaller companies often do not have the necessary resources in order to address all software aspects and therefore benefit from aggressive partnerships. This is particularly important because most end users are hardly able to develop sensible applications without a complete technical solution catalog. However, large companies such as IBM show extensive plans and extensive partner programs in their road maps that enable them to offer effective, holistic solutions.