Windows 10 End of Support

For years Windows 10 has been the most popular OS for our PCs and laptops providing a user-friendly interface, a range of software applications, and modern security features. However, the day is coming when the world moves on, and Microsoft will end its support for Windows 10.

This is a call to action for IT leaders. In this article, we’ll explain the reasons why this is important for you and what opportunities could be available to benefit you. We’ll build the business case that you can take to your team to show why now would be a good time to start planning your next move. So, what is happening to Windows 10?

Windows 10 will reach end of support (EOS) on 14th October, 2025. Your software will still work, but you will no longer have technical support or access to updates, and security patches. This impacts your organisation and needs careful consideration. In the next section we will summarise the consequences on your business.

There has been a lot to love about Windows 10 – including efficient hardware and software portability, task switcher views for quicker navigation, and a tablet mode interface touch-optimised for the introduction of 2-in-1 laptops. It has been used across business laptops, workstations, tablets as well as embedded in POS systems and endpoints in industrial settings. However, Microsoft will retire the product and this will affect your Windows desktop support. In any End of Life or sunset scenario, good planning leads to better outcomes.

If you’ve experienced rolling out Windows for any number over 50 desktop devices you will know that it’s important to have an deployment plan in place. Done correctly, a software update procedure can be fast and lightweight to execute. An IT services management (ITSM) model can help with this and many of our customers efficiently outsource this to Bell Integration Managed Services. We are well placed to advise on the consequences and a solution to boost digital employee experience.

The Consequences of Ignoring the End of Support

Ok, we know that there are a lot of demands on IT, and nobody is ignoring anything per se, but by not taking action you are putting your company at risk of some serious consequences. It’s not all doom and gloom. Make yourself aware of the following 4 impacts, and investigate the steps you can take to lead your team into the next leading desktop user experience.

Ignoring the End of Support for Windows 10 can have serious implications for your business. Here’s a quick rundown of the potential risks:

Security Risks: Unsupported and unpatched software could become a cyber-kraken sprawling with problems when you least need it. Imagine its monstrous cyber-kraken tentacles reaching for your precious data. That’s the potential scenario you face with unsupported Windows 10. Without regular security updates, your systems become vulnerable to the latest malware, phishing attacks, and ransomware threats. Your SOC team or managed cyber security services provider will not be pleased when they find a zero-day exploit that could have been avoided, and they are now calling forensics to see how far the malware has reached to expose sensitive data.

Compliance risks and general non-conformance. Many industries and government departments have strict regulations that require up-to-date software. Non-compliance means failure to adhere to the laws that apply to your industry service or process and can result in fines or legal penalties. And whilst non-conformance to some standards does not always mean breaking the law, it can have an impact on service performance, quality, or safety. Implications that you won’t want to be dealing with and will disrupt your strategic initiatives.

Performance Lag: When your system becomes slower than expected there are potentially invisible performance issues. Unsupported operating systems, which Windows 10 will soon be, become sluggish and inefficient. This leads to decreased productivity and employee frustration. Other performance issues will become familiar to Windows 10, such as compatibility with apps or drives, and this will leading to you wishing you’d considered the implications in more detail and the benefits that Windows 11 can provide had you moved in good time.

Staff Productivity: You may think that allowing your workforce to continue to use the OS they are familiar with would protect productivity and a good digital employee experience (DEX). However, be aware that when software is not working as it should – or employees can’t access tools or find resources, their normal daily work is interrupted, which has greater consequences of lost productivity and disruption of potentially business-critical tasks.

With good planning, you can avoid any headaches and ensure a smooth migration project to advance your business. By starting your planning now, you will give yourself a stress-free timeline to investigate your assets where Windows 10 is installed and the people involved to lead the project.

So, what can you do to avoid these risks?

1. Upgrade to Windows 11: This is the most straightforward option. It involves updating your existing Windows 10 systems to the latest version. It’s important to ensure that your hardware is compatible and that your applications will run as expected. Windows 11 provides an improved interface and user experience with enhanced support for productivity and collaboration. This includes virtual desktops, more accessible input for voice and touch, security strengthening and faster response performance.
2. Migrate to Microsoft 365: If you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution, consider migrating to Microsoft 365. This cloud-based platform includes Windows 11, Office 365, and other productivity tools. It can simplify your IT infrastructure (such as introducing Microsoft Entra ID, formerly Azure Active Directory, which is a cloud-based identity and access management service) and reduce your costs. If M365 isn’t a viable option you could consider other deployment options such as Windows as a Service to simplify the work of IT Pros to manage upgrades and servicing.
3. Consider a hardware refresh: not an easy decision when we’re looking to protect costs, but if you have an ageing estate and other strategies in the pipeline it could be a beneficial way to upgrade in the same project.
4. Move to a new OS – you may be in a situation where most of your install base could benefit from using a different OS, such as Linux, macOS or Google Chrome. Tread lightly, and choose wisely, as it is potentially a big change and one with exposure across the business.
5. Prolong your changes with Extended Security updates. It’s possible that for up to three years Microsoft will support new security updates as part of a paid subscription service. This could be a viable option to gain more time to plan a migration. Perhaps you are waiting for the stars to align for bigger tech upgrade plans. This allows you to cover security vulnerabilities. However, this is not to be considered a long-term solution, nor are the costs driving real value.

So the most likely scenarios include a simple upgrade plan to Windows 11 or a digital transformation path embracing the cloud-based Microsoft 365.

Now, Windows 11 is more advanced so you will need to check if you have any hardware that is no longer compatible. If so, you have options to manage the end of life for old devices and benefit from our IT Life Cycle and Asset Management Services.

If you decide on Microsoft 365, your organisation will benefit from a strong suite of office productivity apps and collaboration software with great potential. You will also need to prepare for a cloud-based delivery method as part of your IT services and the training that may be required for such a modern workplace solution.

In terms of a business case that you can present to the leadership board, you can now consider your current state IT environment and the challenges associated with using Windows 10 after the end of support. We’ve outlined the business risks facing your organisation, and touched on some steps to quantify the impact of EOS as part of a risk assessment. We’ve also explained a proposed solution. In most cases our customers are opting for the cloud-based Microsoft 365 service as their target platform.

Ultimately, you’ll need to produce an implementation plan to outline the key steps involved in the upgrade or migration process – including timelines, resources, and dependencies.

Working with Bell

Our teams are familiar with migrations and modern workplace solutions. We have designed best practices and processes to make your move as quick and as smooth as possible.
Bell personnel have the technical expertise to:

• Save time and core resources
• Understand compatibility of applications
• Manage device inventory and evaluate best-fit solutions
• Ensure smooth project management and milestones
• Avoid downtime and disruption to the workforce.
• Drive digital transformation

We will assess your business needs and provide extensive discovery, planning and design for your bespoke Windows 11 or Microsoft 365 migration. Bell will understand your needs and challenges and produce a cost-benefit analysis. This would estimate requirements for hardware upgrades, software licensing, training, and the potential productivity gains.

We can support you further with project management experts who can ensure this runs successfully and on time. Where required, we can provide new devices, additional resources, support and managed services.

For more general information about what’s new with Windows 11, its key features and system requirements, visit Microsoft.com here.