Transduction is “everybody’s problem and nobody’s problem.” That line from Vijoy Pandey, SVP/GM of Outshift by Cisco, stayed with me after Part 2 of my Beyond the Qubit interview because it points to one of the most important value layers in quantum. In this episode, I explore why connecting quantum computers may become just as important as building them. In classical networking, information can be inspected, routed, and forwarded. Quantum information is different. If you inspect the quantum state, you risk destroying the information you are trying to preserve. This episode is for investors, founders, and anyone trying to understand the infrastructure that quantum computing will need to scale. The challenge is not only building better qubits. It is creating the interfaces, switches, and protocols that allow different quantum systems to communicate. That is where transduction becomes strategically important. It is the translation layer between quantum computers and quantum networks. Without it, the industry risks creating isolated compute islands where every system speaks its own language. Cisco’s approach is interesting because it is not built around betting on one winning quantum modality. Instead, the focus is on building a network layer that can connect different architectures. If quantum becomes a distributed computing platform, the companies controlling the interfaces and connectivity layers could become important control points. 💡 In this episode, we cover: Why quantum networks cannot copy classical internet architecture Why transduction is the interface problem between quantum computers and networks How quantum switches differ from classical switches Why different quantum modalities create a connectivity challenge How Cisco’s universal quantum switch approaches translation between encodings Why ecosystem collaboration matters for quantum networking Why the network layer could become a valuable control point What investors should watch as quantum infrastructure develops Chapters 00:00 Why transduction matters in quantum networking 01:35 Why quantum needs a network layer 02:39 The NIC card analogy for quantum 03:24 Why transduction is harder than classical networking 04:51 Why quantum networks cannot inspect information 07:05 Building a universal quantum switch 08:45 Translating different quantum encodings 10:48 Why ecosystem collaboration matters 12:47 Keeping the network simple and complexity at the edge 14:48 Why transduction could become a strategic control point Share this episode with someone investing in or building in quantum, and subscribe or follow Beyond the Qubit for more conversations on quantum technology, markets, and investing. 📌 Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. This post is shared on a personal basis and I do not represent any company.

Autonomous agents are learning to find, trust and communicate with one another. Now comes the harder task: sharing meaning, resolving conflicts and reasoning together.

The internet was built by reading packet headers. Quantum networks cannot do that. In this episode, I explore my biggest takeaways from Part 1 of my Beyond the Qubit interview with Vijoy Pandey, head of Outshift at Cisco. The key difference is simple but profound: classical networks scale by inspecting and forwarding information, while quantum networks have to preserve information they cannot directly inspect. This episode is for investors, founders, and anyone trying to understand what infrastructure quantum computing will need beyond the QPU itself. If quantum systems are going to scale beyond isolated machines, they will need a network layer that can connect processors, sensors, and resources while preserving fragile quantum states. Cisco’s approach is interesting because the company is not trying to build the quantum computer itself. It is exploring the networking layer around quantum systems, using photonics, telecom frequencies, room-temperature components, and existing fiber infrastructure. The goal is not to recreate the classical internet, but to build the architecture needed for quantum scale. The strategic question is not only who builds the best qubits. It is also: Who builds the network that connects them? 💡 In this episode, we cover: Why quantum networks cannot simply copy classical internet architecture Why quantum information cannot be inspected like classical packets How quantum switches and entanglement sources could enable scaling Why networking between QPUs may become a major bottleneck Why Cisco is focusing on the infrastructure layer around quantum computers How photonics and existing fiber infrastructure could improve deployability Why quantum networks may also connect sensors and shared resources What investors should watch in the quantum networking stack Chapters 00:00 Why Cisco is exploring quantum networking 00:50 Why quantum needs a network layer 03:22 Quantum clusters and the need for connectivity 04:47 What quantum networking actually means 05:23 The quantum switch challenge 08:01 Why classical networking cannot be copied 10:03 Why quantum networks cannot inspect information 12:29 Building networks without destroying quantum states 14:42 Why Cisco focuses on photonics and fiber 17:39 Connecting quantum computers and sensors 27:14 The current state of quantum networking Share this episode with someone investing in or building in quantum, and subscribe or follow Beyond the Qubit for more conversations on quantum technology, markets, and investing. 📌 Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. This post is shared on a personal basis and I do not represent any company.

Technology doesn't just evolve. It transforms. And that transformative edge is where you’ll find Outshift by Cisco. We are on a continuous exploration of the road less traveled, turning stumbles into giant leaps. When imposter syndrome and the fear of failure flare, we persevere. And when something breaks, that’s when we know we’re on the cusp of innovation. We don’t wait for the future; we push emerging technologies forward and build what will be possible. We are Outshift by Cisco. Explore more at https://cs.co/60532ziBF. ----- Outshift is Cisco’s incubation engine, innovating what's next and new for Cisco products and sharing our expertise on emerging technologies. Discover the latest on cloud native applications, cloud application security, generative AI, quantum networking and security, future-forward tech research, our latest open source projects and more. Keep up with the speed of innovation: → Learn more: https://cs.co/6050psmui → Read our blog: https://cs.co/6051psmuc Connect with us on social media: → LinkedIn: https://cs.co/6052psmuY → Bluesky: https://cs.co/6058F2CsI → Twitter / X: https://cs.co/6053psmul → Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://cs.co/6054psmum