Optical computing uses light instead of electricity to perform computations and transmit data. It offers faster speeds than electronic circuits, with terabit speeds needed for internet growth. Optical computers work by using photonic circuits and avoiding heat and short circuits. In the future, optical computing could provide faster speeds than today's machines with increased bandwidth and storage. While still years away, progress is being made in trapping light long enough to store data. In the near term, hybrid optical/electronic systems are most likely. Beyond optical is quantum computing, which is hypothetical but could store more than one bit per particle between 2030-2050. Organizations should monitor optical computing advances and identify business segments that could benefit earliest.