Blog summary: - Today, we celebrate ten years since IBM put the first quantum computer on the cloud, opening real hardware to a global community. - Cloud access helped turn quantum computing from a niche research pursuit into a growing, real‑world industry. - A decade of progress has delivered major advances in hardware and software, from early demos to 156‑qubit systems and a mature programming stack. - Most lasting is the human impact: the early users of cloud-accessible quantum computers are now the developers, founders, and partners shaping the field’s future. On 4 May 2016, IBM put the first quantum computer on the cloud. It was a seminal moment in computing history, and for thousands of early users who would get their first experience with real quantum hardware in the months and years to follow. Today, we celebrate a tremendous milestone: ten years of cloud-accessible quantum computing. Now, as day one of IBM’s annual Think conference gets underway, our clients and partners reflect on what the first decade of the cloud has enabled—and what comes next. Those early IBM Quantum users include Dr. Álvaro Nodar, Advocate for the Basque Quantum (BasQ) initiative and Quantum Technical Lead at Global Data Quantum: “The first time I accessed a real quantum device through the cloud was in 2016, during my master’s,” said Nodar. “I remember my professors telling us about its release, and that same afternoon I started running the circuits I had been working on in exercises, projects, and exams," he said. "It was mind-blowing to take all those pen-and-paper circuits and test them on a real device.” Help shape the next decade of quantum computing on the cloud. Sign up for a free Open Plan account on IBM Quantum Platform, and run circuits today. Democratizing access In hindsight, IBM’s decision to