IBM Says Quantum Advantage Could Arrive Before December 2026. What a Software Founder Needs to Know Without the Hype.
53% of Colombian executives see quantum computing as the future. Only 13% expect to use it before 2030. The gap between perception and preparation is the pattern that repeats with every emerging technology.
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This week, from New York Tech Week, came a data point worth processing carefully: IBM indicates that quantum advantage — the moment when quantum systems surpass classical ones in precision, cost, or efficiency — could emerge before the end of 2026. At the same time, 53% of Colombian executives believe AI and quantum computing will transform their industry before 2030. But only 13% expect to actively use quantum technology by that year. That gap between perception and preparation isn't new — it's exactly the same pattern we saw with AI three years ago. And it's worth learning from that pattern before repeating it.
What Quantum Advantage Actually Means
Quantum computing isn't just faster computing. It's a different paradigm that uses quantum mechanics principles to process certain types of problems that classical computers can't solve efficiently. Route optimization with millions of simultaneous variables, molecular simulation for pharmaceuticals, next-generation cryptography, complex financial modeling. For those specific problems, when quantum advantage arrives, the difference will be years of processing vs. minutes.
Quantum Advantage in Simple Terms
It's not that your quantum laptop will be faster. It's that certain problems that currently take years to solve will be solvable in minutes. The impact isn't on all processes — it's on optimization and simulation problems of very large scale.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- 1Quantum computing isn't faster computing — it's a different paradigm for specific large-scale optimization and simulation problems.
- 2The high perception + low preparation pattern repeats with every emerging technology. The gap closes more easily if you start before it's urgent.
- 3For most Colombian companies today: prepare structured data and digitized processes. Quantum will arrive as a cloud service, not as owned hardware.
- 4What is urgent now: review cybersecurity strategy with post-quantum cryptography in mind.
IBM may be right or wrong about the timing. What's certain is that quantum computing will impact specific industries significantly — and companies that understand this before it's urgent will have an advantage. The first step isn't quantum — it's the same as always: digitize, structure data, and build the foundation that lets any emerging technology work on top of it.
If you want to understand what your company needs to be prepared for the next emerging technologies, we start with the diagnosis. The foundation is always the same.