Windows 10 is finally reaching its end-of-support deadline. After Tuesday, any computers or devices running on the operating system (OS) will not receive support, software updates, or security patches.
While business applications trapped on Windows 10 can technically still run, they will now be far more susceptible to threats like cyberattacks and system failures.
When I wrote about this a few months ago, 44% of Windows desktop versions in the UK market were Windows 10. Now, according to the latest data on Statcounter, this figure still sits at 36% (as of September).
Given the very gradual decline in percentages over the last few months, many business desktop PCs will most likely still be running on Windows 10 post-EoL deadline. That’s even if there has been a major drop.
In fact, a new survey of 250 compliance and IT leaders has revealed a massive 90% of organizations in government, finance and manufacturing have Windows technical debt (the hidden costs and risks created when organizations delay updating or modernizing their IT systems).
Any of these organizations still using unsupported Windows 10 applications could face major performance, operational and compliance risks. But the passing of a deadline can be joined by a sinking feeling that you’ve already missed the boat: “It’s too late to make changes now anyway.”
However, all is not lost. “Too late” only applies if you continue to take no action; safeguarding apps can still be done post-EoL. In fact, it is vital organizations do exactly this.
There’s still time
Many industries – finance, healthcare, government, manufacturing – still rely on business-critical apps that aren’t designed for modern OS environments. These apps might have hardcoded OS-specific dependencies or custom integrations with existing industrial systems that traditional migration strategies struggle to overcome.
Therefore, these organizations can believe their only option is a costly and time-consuming application modernization project or complex re-platforming: 45% of survey respondents cited this as a blocker to tackling their technical debt.
As such, teams can feel it’s better to do nothing so that they don’t end up ‘breaking something’, especially as the end-of-support date has passed – it’s an approach in line with the ‘Retain’ strategy, one the Rs of AWS’ 7Rs strategies for cloud migration. But a lot of it comes down to a lack of awareness over EoL deadlines too.
Yet even though the deadline is about to pass, there are proven ways to wrap, isolate and secure applications so they remain usable and safe with very minimal disruption.
With the right tools and support, Windows 10 applications can be redeployed onto supported operating systems in a matter of weeks, as opposed to the months, even years, it can take to refactor or recode applications.
No need for refactoring or recoding
Any downtime to operations or services isn’t an option for these high-risk sectors, but running applications on legacy Windows environments represents a significant risk from a cyber security and resilience perspective. Over half (51%) of the leaders surveyed reported downtime due to technical debt. So, abandoning the apps isn’t possible, but neither is leaving them unsupported.
Specialist migration software can isolate and intercept legacy dependencies while redirecting data flows, capturing and packaging not just the applications but all of their OS environment-specific dependencies. The software preserves the exact behavior of the original applications but allows them to run securely on modern infrastructure.
By redeploying them onto supported servers, the apps are turned into a safe and compliant form without any refactoring or recoding. But what other steps do firms need to take to secure their Windows 10 applications?
Get the money
The deadline is upon us – this is mission critical. Budgets can be especially tight in the current economic climate, so the money might not be initially available.
But IT leaders have to approach the C-suite and get the funds. Without them, the organization will be facing risks that threaten their entire operation and leave them facing far greater costs and reputational damage.
It’s not too late, but leaders need to be convinced.
Evaluate your IT estate
To know the scale of the issue and how many devices need updating, a company-wide audit is imperative. How many Windows 10 devices are there and how many staff are using them?
This can inform how many rollouts of new devices are needed and if there are any old devices that don’t support Windows 11 OSs.
You can also treat this as a chance to reassess the IT estate: which apps need to be modernized, retired or secured?
Build a proactive strategy (that keeps ahead of deadlines)
While it’s not too late to safeguard critical older apps, you don’t want to be in a situation where you are continually firefighting issues and allowing technical debt to build.
Many companies only tackle their technical debt after issues take place (a significant 46% of leaders said this) instead of implementing a proactive – and funded – roadmap to addressing it (like 39% of the organizations surveyed do).
But modernization is a continual process. After addressing the Windows 10 technical debt, IT management should look to introduce incremental updates over time and use software to automate processes like monitoring drift.
This means apps can continue to perform well and receive any necessary security updates.
It’s not about missing the deadline
The Windows 10 EoL deadline is about to hit. But while there can be a tendency to continue business as usual, with the perceived costs and time of altering Windows 10 apps a blocker to change, the costs of doing nothing are far greater – and unnecessary.
With many desktops still operating on Windows 10 – and still critical to business continuity – companies and their IT teams need the technology and strategy to use their applications safely and compliantly.
Ultimately, ensuring business continuity while planning for the future means organizations can move at the right pace, and not in a panic. It’s not about missing the deadline; it’s about acting now with solutions designed exactly for this scenario.
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