Billions Looming in Support Costs as Windows 10 Reaches End of Life
Companies worldwide face over €6.8 billion in potential costs for continued support of Windows 10 after Microsoft officially retires the operating system in October 2025, according to a new analysis. The figure underscores the massive undertaking organizations face in migrating from Windows 10, and the financial implications of failing to do so before free security updates cease.
The analysis, conducted by IT-Business.de, estimates that approximately 180.6 million Windows 10 devices are currently in use within businesses and public institutions globally – roughly 43 percent of the 420 million Windows devices used by organizations.Microsoft will stop providing free security updates for Windows 10 in October 2025, forcing companies to either upgrade to Windows 11 or pay for extended security support. At a projected cost of €56.12 per device per year for custom support, the total worldwide expense could reach €6.8 billion annually.
While Windows 11 offers improved security and functionality, initial reports indicate a higher incidence of system crashes and hardware resets compared to Windows 10. However, experts suggest these early issues are typical and shouldn’t deter proactive migration planning. Prosperous transitions require thorough hardware and application compatibility testing, and complete employee training on new features.
The calculation is based on an estimated 1.4 billion windows devices worldwide, with approximately 30 percent utilized by companies or public institutions. If the current rate of Windows 10 usage within organizations – 43 percent – remains constant, roughly 180.6 million devices will require attention. Assuming a 33 percent reduction in Windows 10 devices between August 1 and October 14, approximately 59.6 million devices will still need updating by the end-of-life deadline.
“The companies that succeed are those that act strategically,” says Simoncini, emphasizing the importance of proactively assessing device conditions and planning for the transition.
