As One Window Closes…

3.1. 98. XP. 7. All have earned their place in the annals of history as much-beloved retired Windows releases.

Side note: LinkedIn, know that we are watching (primarily because several of us within Team Kite have been inextricably addicted to the daily puzzle games for at least a year at this point), and if that ends up becoming a set of clues in an upcoming – albeit probably painfully easy – Pinpoint game, we want credit.

Soon, another Windows version will enter this hallowed Hall of Fame. That’s right, as many in the IT world are no doubt aware by now, Microsoft have confirmed the end of support date for Windows 10 as October 14th, 2025.

So, what does this mean?

One bit of good news: a device running Windows 10 will still work. However, as Microsoft will no longer be providing free updates, bug fixes, or technical support for it, it will be subject to increasing security risks and compatibility issues as time goes on. There is the option to pay for continued security updates for a limited time, but the writing on the wall is clear: the days of Windows 10 are numbered, and upgrading to Windows 11 will soon be a necessity.

Easy enough to do for the individual – any device running Windows 10 and meeting the minimum system requirements is currently eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 for free. But, as ever, there’s a bigger picture.

For the individual, that date is effectively a strongly recommended guideline. For a large organisation, subject to multiple compliance standards, it’s a non-negotiable deadline, and when multiple machines need upgrading, it’s a much bigger headache. Added to which, multiple machines equal multiple users, which potentially adds up to even more lost time chasing said users to upgrade.

The ideal route? Remove user involvement entirely. At Team Kite, we like it when someone lays everything out neatly for us, and in this instance, that’s just what one of our vendors has done. With the Hexnode Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform, it’s possible to implement a structured upgrade flow in order to automate the Windows 11 upgrade process across eligible Windows 10 devices, greatly streamlining what could otherwise be a cumbersome and time-consuming task. See for yourself in the below infographic:

Want to take a look the platform in action? Check out our vendor page below, where you can learn more about Hexnode and request a demo, or contact us at sales@kitedistribution.co.uk or on 01162 165600.

Hexnode – Kite Distribution