Australia’s IT partners are racing against an immovable deadline: October 14, 2025. That’s when Microsoft will stop releasing free security updates for Windows 10, leaving millions of PCs vulnerable unless their owners take action. Distributors, resellers, and managed service providers across the country have shifted from planning to execution, rolling out readiness tools, financing incentives, and migration services—but a vast swath of small and medium businesses remains dangerously behind.
The Clock Is Ticking: A Nationwide Push to Leave Windows 10
Microsoft confirmed long ago that Windows 10’s end of support would arrive on October 14, 2025. After that date, no more routine security updates, bug fixes, or technical support for consumer and mainstream business editions. For organizations that can’t upgrade in time, Microsoft is offering a one-year Extended Security Updates (ESU) package, which delivers security-only patches through October 13, 2026, at a cost. Some specialised editions—Windows 10 LTSC 2019 and IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021, for instance—remain supported until 2029 and beyond, but these aren’t available to new customers without volume licensing.
The local channel response, as detailed in a recent ARN report, has coalesced around three practical activities: creating Windows 11 readiness assessment tools, using manufacturer and distributor incentives to ease refresh economics, and offering migration services from pilot testing to full rollouts.
Dicker Data, a major Australian distributor, appointed a dedicated business development manager solely for Windows 10 refreshes. It built a Windows 11 Readiness Assessment Tool that ingests data from Intune, PC Health Check, and SCCM to generate branded reports partners can share with customers. Dicker Data also runs joint events with OEMs like HP, Dell, and Lenovo, and works to ensure local inventory doesn’t run dry as demand spikes.
Ingram Micro is focusing on structured partner enablement and analytics, using its Xvantage Power BI tool to help resellers prioritize opportunities and articulate the business risk of staying on Windows 10. Distributors are also pushing finance and leasing options as interest rates dip, making device refreshes more palatable.
“We have seen a lot of MDF and incentives to drive volumes,” one partner told ARN. “As interest rates start to fall, we have seen some movement in finance/lease prices that is also helping business cases for refresh.”
Your Upgrade Options Are Splitting Into Two Very Different Paths
For most Australian organizations, the journey to Windows 11 is now a two-track reality: those who can upgrade in time are doing so, often pairing the OS move with a shift to modern management via Intune and Autopilot. Those who can’t—due to hardware limitations, application complexity, or plain old budget constraints—are turning to ESU or leaning on LTSC/LTSB editions as a temporary safety net.
Here’s how the math breaks down for different groups:
| User Type | Likely Path | Key Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise (regulated) | Already migrated or mid-deployment | Driven by compliance; most have adopted Intune and Autopilot alongside Windows 11 |
| Mid-market | Accelerating refresh | Using distributor tools and leasing to fund Windows 11 PCs; momentum growing |
| Small & medium business (SMB) | Largely uncommitted | Cost sensitivity, competing priorities; many will rely on ESU or do nothing |
| Specialist endpoints (POS, manufacturing) | ESU or stay on LTSC/LTSB | Bespoke apps, long refresh cycles; Windows 11 migration delayed until next hardware cycle |
| Home users | ESU or risk | Free upgrade to Windows 11 if hardware qualifies; ESU available for a fee, but no managed support |
Dickey Data’s Ben Johnson noted that heavily regulated sectors—government, health, defence, and finance—have “largely completed their refresh.” Mid-market firms are now following suit, but SMBs are the soft underbelly. “We’ve been working with our partners to scale the messaging on why SMBs need to move to Windows 11, however it’s likely that more education and support is required, as well as improved broader economic conditions, before we’ll see a stronger refresh rate in the SMB segment,” Johnson told ARN.
For home users, the situation is simpler but no less urgent: run PC Health Check to see if your device qualifies for Windows 11. If it does, the upgrade is free and relatively straightforward. If not, you’ll either need to buy a new PC or pay for ESU to keep the old one secure for another year.
Why So Many Australian Businesses Are Still Running Windows 10
Inertia isn’t the only culprit. Economic headwinds, application complexity, and competing IT priorities have created a perfect stall.
“The challenge is convincing customers to prioritise device refresh when they have so many other strategic IT priorities including cyber, AI, and continued digital transformation,” a partner told ARN. Microsoft itself planted seeds of hesitation years ago when it anointed Windows 10 as “the last version of Windows,” leading some organizations to defer hardware upgrades indefinitely.
Then there’s the hardware reality. Windows 11’s strict TPM 2.0 and CPU requirements mean many older—but perfectly functional—machines can’t be upgraded. For cash-strapped SMBs, replacing fleets isn’t a casual decision. Retail point-of-sale systems, manufacturing workstations, and other specialist endpoints often run on five-year refresh cycles that don’t align with Microsoft’s calendar. Ripping them out mid-cycle destroys ROI.
Application compatibility, while less of a fear than during the Windows 7-to-10 shift, still snags regulated industries that must recertify critical software. And then there’s plain old time: “Many internal teams simply don’t have the capacity to complete the upgrade by October,” one consultant noted. “When that happens, customers usually choose one of two paths—bring us in to get the upgrade done quickly, or purchase ESU to give themselves more time.”
The temptation to perform quick, in-place upgrades that skip modern management foundations is another risk. Partners warn that a surface-level migration without Intune and Entra Join will leave organizations in the same operational debt when the next OS cycle arrives.
Act Now: A Practical Checklist for Every Windows 10 User
No matter which camp you fall into, the next five months demand action. Here’s a prioritized checklist based on what leading partners are advising their own clients:
For IT Decision Makers (Business & Enterprise)
- Inventory and prioritize. Run a full device and application inventory. Classify endpoints by risk, compatibility, and business criticality. Use free tools like Microsoft’s PC Health Check, Intune, or SCCM reports.
- Assess and report. Generate a Windows 11 readiness report (partners like Dicker Data offer branded versions; you can also use Microsoft’s built-in analytics). This tells you exactly which devices can be upgraded in-place and which need replacement.
- Segment your plan. Tackle regulated or high-risk systems first. Move mid-market fleets next, leveraging leasing and incentive programs. For SMBs, look for low-touch, finance-friendly bundles from your partner.
- Modernise management. Wherever possible, couple the Windows 11 upgrade with a move to Intune, Autopilot, and Entra Join. Don’t just lift-and-shift an old image.
- Pilot, validate, then scale. Never deploy broadly without a pilot ring. Test application compatibility, user experience, and rollback procedures.
- Use ESU strategically. For specialist endpoints that can’t migrate yet, buy ESU as a time-boxed bridge—but only with a firm migration deadline and budget attached.
- Add compensating controls. For any device staying on Windows 10 past October 14 (with or without ESU), increase network segmentation, deploy EDR, and tighten monitoring.
For Home Users and Small Office
- Run PC Health Check now. It takes two minutes and tells you if your current PC can run Windows 11. Download it from Microsoft’s website.
- Check for a free upgrade. If your device qualifies, back up your files and start the Windows 11 installation via Windows Update. The upgrade preserves your apps and data.
- If your PC fails the check, you have two choices: buy a new Windows 11 PC (prices start around $500 for a capable laptop) or purchase ESU for your Windows 10 machine. ESU for consumers is expected to cost around $30 for the year, but Microsoft hasn’t announced final pricing for all regions.
- Don’t ignore security. Running Windows 10 without updates after October 14 is dangerous. Even with ESU, you only get critical fixes—not the broader security enhancements built into Windows 11.
Questions to Ask Your IT Partner (If You’re a Business)
- Do you have an up-to-date device and application inventory with risk scoring?
- Can you produce a branded Windows 11 readiness report?
- What’s your recommended timeline for our environment, including pilot windows and rollback plans?
- What are the costs and implications of ESU versus accelerating a refresh?
- Will you implement Intune/Autopilot and modern identity as part of the migration, or simply do in-place OS upgrades?
What Comes After the October 14 Deadline
The local channel’s readiness is high, but the wildcard remains demand spikes and inventory management. Dicker Data’s Johnson noted that “inventory management has been key as we get closer to the end of support date to ensure we’re able to service demand as it builds.” Lead times for new PCs could stretch if the SMB segment finally wakes up in September. Windows 11 itself will continue to evolve—AI features like Copilot assume modern hardware and management, and skipping that foundation will make future upgrades harder.
For businesses that executed a clean, modern migration, the next Windows transition (whenever it comes) will be a non-event. For those that paid for ESU and kicked the can down the road, the bill comes due again in October 2026—and it will be more expensive the second time. The message from every corner of the Australian channel is consistent: start now, even if your first step is just an inventory. A scramble in October benefits no one.