<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div>International Business Machines Corp. IBM, Alphabet Inc.‘s GOOGL GOOG Google, Amazon.com Inc. AMZN and Microsoft Corp. MSFT are intensifying their pursuit of industrial-scale quantum computers, with recent breakthroughs bringing the decades-old dream within reach by 2030.<h2>Quantum Breakthrough Momentum Builds</h2>The race accelerated after IBM published its quantum computer blueprint in June, claiming to have “cracked the code” for full-scale machines. “It doesn’t feel like a dream anymore,” Jay Gambetta, head of IBM’s quantum initiative, told Financial Times. “I really do feel like we’ve cracked the code and we’ll be able to build this machine by the end of the decade.”Google demonstrated significant progress with error correction capabilities late last year. “All the [remaining] engineering and scientific challenges are surmountable,” said Julian Kelly, head of hardware at Google Quantum AI, according to the FT report.<h2>Scaling Challenges Remain Formidable</h2>Current systems operate with fewer than 200 qubits—quantum computing’s basic building blocks. Industrial applications require scaling to 1 million qubits or more. Amazon’s Oskar Painter warned the engineering effort remains substantial, predicting useful quantum computers are “still 15-30 years away.”<h2>Error Correction Race Heats Up</h2>Google leads in error correction demonstrations, using surface code technology requiring 1 million qubits for practical calculations. The company targets $1 billion in system costs through 10x component cost reductions.IBM pivoted to low-density parity-check codes, claiming 90% fewer qubits needed than Google’s approach. However, this requires longer qubit connections—a technical challenge IBM claims to have recently solved.<h2>Market Impact Accelerates</h2>Nvidia Corp. NVDA CEO Jensen Huang‘s June comments about quantum computing reaching “an inflection point” sparked rallies in quantum stocks, including Quantum Computing Inc. QUBT and Rigetti Computing Inc. RGTI. IonQ Inc. IONQ raised $1 billion in July, targeting 2 million physical qubits by 2030.The Pentagon’s DARPA launched studies identifying fastest-scaling quantum technologies, while concerns mount over quantum computers potentially cracking Bitcoin BTC/USD encryption 20 times faster than previously estimated.<ul> <li>Microsoft Lures Meta’s Talent Pool With Multimillion-Dollar Pay Packages As The AI War Heats Up: Report</li> </ul>Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.Photo courtesy: MacroEcon / Shutterstock.com</div></div></div>

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IBM, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are competing to develop industrial-scale quantum computers, aiming for breakthroughs by 2030. IBM claims to have made significant progress with its quantum computer blueprint, while Google focuses on error correction. Current systems have fewer than 200 qubits, but practical applications require scaling to 1 million qubits. Despite challenges, the market is reacting positively, with investments in quantum technology increasing. Concerns also arise about quantum computers potentially compromising Bitcoin encryption.

- Major tech companies like IBM, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are advancing towards industrial-scale quantum computers, aiming for breakthroughs by 2030.  
- IBM claims to have developed a blueprint for full-scale machines, while Google has made progress in error correction, although scaling to 1 million qubits remains a challenge.  
- The market is reacting positively, with significant investments and interest in quantum technologies, as concerns grow over their potential impact on encryption.  

IBM, Google, Amazon, Microsoft Lock Horns In Billion-Dollar Race to Build Million-Qubit Quantum Computers And End A 40-Year Tech Dream