- Canalys reveals more than a third of SMEs do not have a clear plan to leave Windows 10 behind
- Surprisingly, 14% of SMEs do not even know that the management of Windows 10 ends soon
- The lack of upgrade plans could cost SMEs more when prices and request peaks are hitting hard
Microsoft has repeatedly announced that it will end Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025 – however, a surprising number of small and medium -sized companies (SMEs) are still not prepared.
A survey by Canals revealed more than a third (35%) of Canal’s partners said that their SMB customers did not know the end of service deadline (EOS) of Windows 10 or did not plan to upgrade their PCs.
Of these 35%, 21% of SMB customers are aware of the imminent Windows 10 EOS 10, but have no upgrading plans, while 14% are completely ignored. Given the risk of security and compliance to operate obsolete systems after the end of the support, this lack of awareness and preparation is alarming.
What does this mean for SMEs and users?
On the other side of the spectrum, 30% of SMB customers are aware and are currently assessing upgrading options, while only 35% have actively planned to upgrade their systems.
This means that almost two thirds of SMEs remain passive or uncertain in their approach to the future change. Unfortunately, many companies do not deal with EOS management as a continuous responsibility, a perspective that must change.
“For customers in these situations, the delay in planning means that they are likely to deal with an environment at higher cost when the time has come to refresh their PC fleets,” said Ishan Dutt, main analyst at Canalys.
The company added that global corporate PC shipments increased 9.4% in annual shift to 62.7 million units in the first quarter of 2025, but despite this hardware growth, many companies are still lagging behind in software preparation.
The end of service will leave millions of commercial laptops without updates or security corrections. DUTT also warned that, as the higher prices take effect, “the following quarters this year would see a slowdown” as prices are increasing and demand is opposed.
Companies that wait much longer can face food constraints when safety of ending points becomes more critical than ever.
Although Microsoft always has work to do to make Windows 11 more attractive, this does not change the reality of the imminent deadline for Windows 10 – here is a six -step countdown to Windows 10 EOS and how to prepare for it.
