Windows 10 custom support costs estimated to be in excess of $7bn
Organizations urged to upgrade to Windows 11 to avoid cyber risks and the cost of support
BOSTON / LAUSANNE - 3rd September 2025 - Nexthink, the leader in Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management, is warning that the cost of custom Windows 10 support could reach upwards of $7.3bn based on market share data and business usage estimates.
Of the 1.4 billion devices powered by Windows, Nexthink estimates that approximately 30% are in use by commercial or public sector organizations, equating to around 420 million enterprise Windows devices. The latest market share data shows Windows 10 still has a 43% market share, which is equivalent to roughly 181 million devices.
According to Nexthink analysis of customer endpoints, there has been a 33% decrease in Windows 10 devices between 19th May and 1st August. Assuming a further 33% reduction by the 14th October, that would leave around 121 million Windows 10 PCs. At $61 per device for the first year of custom support, organizations could collectively be facing a bill of just over $7.3 billion.
“Moving from one operating system to another shouldn’t feel like a disruption. It should be an opportunity to improve how employees work every day,” said Tim Flower, DEX Strategist at Nexthink. “That means understanding how devices and applications perform before the migration, anticipating issues and problems, and taking steps to ensure migrations and upgrades run smoothly. The goal is to avoid productivity being interrupted by an IT event, and help organizations see clear benefits from their investment.”
“Windows 11 brings powerful new capabilities, but only if devices and employees are ready to take advantage of them,” Flower continued. “Too often, OS projects are treated as compliance exercises. Instead, they should be planned around the experience, ensuring devices are capable, performance issues are resolved, and employees notice a genuine improvement after the upgrade. With millions of OS migrations still on the horizon in the coming weeks, the priority is not just to move quickly, but to do it in a way that leaves people better off.”
Nexthink’s analysis of the digital experience across Windows 10 and Windows 11 shows that Windows 11 devices are currently experiencing a higher level of instability, with more frequent system crashes (1.2% vs 0.6% for Windows 10) and hard resets (9.9% vs 8.5% for Windows 10). While not unexpected in the early years of a new operating system, the findings highlight how factors such as hardware compatibility, drivers and system configuration can impact the employee experience during an OS migration. These risks can be anticipated and mitigated with tailored library packs, which give IT teams ready-to-use insights and guidance to smooth the transition.
“Every migration comes with teething problems, and what we’re seeing with Windows 11 is no different,” said Tim Flower, DEX Strategist at Nexthink. “These issues aren’t necessarily due to Windows itself, but are often linked to the underlying hardware, drivers, or the way systems are deployed. The lesson is that without visibility, IT teams are flying blind and deploying configurations that can be more prone to issues than necessary. With the right insight and tools, IT teams can identify problems early and apply proven best practices, making the transition a genuine improvement for employees rather than a step backwards.”
Organizations must take a proactive, data-led approach to migration planning, ensuring they understand both the technical requirements and potential impact on the employee experience. To do this, organizations should:
- Pinpoint remaining Windows 10 devices and assess hardware readiness for Windows 11.
- Plan for post-deadline risks, as unsupported devices face greater exposure to malware, phishing, and ransomware.
- Check application compatibility to prevent software issues or loss of support.
- Factor in device performance, as older hardware may slow productivity and limit upgrades.
- Consider IT resource impact, as unsupported OS devices may require more IT support.
- Avoid ‘AI FOMO’ by guiding employees on how they can access and use tools like Copilot, improved multitasking, and enhanced UI features.
- Reduce friction across teams by avoiding inconsistent experiences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 users.
“Migrating to Windows 11 is a major undertaking, but it starts with knowing exactly what you’re working with,” concludes Flower. “The organizations that succeed will be those that approach migration strategically. That means understanding the state of devices and applications, planning for how employees will be affected, and measuring the digital experience before and after the move. That’s how IT leaders can turn a compliance deadline into a real opportunity to improve the way people work.”
Methodology
The full workings for the Nexthink calculation are as follows:
- There are 1.4 billion devices powered by Windows, of which Nexthink estimates that around 30% of these are in use by commercial or public sector organizations
- This leaves 420m million enterprise Windows devices. If 43% of these are Windows 10 devices, that leaves 180,600,000m Windows 10 enterprise devices
- Assuming a 33% reduction in the 74 days from 1st August to 14th October (59,598,000), this will leave 121,002,000 devices due to be upgraded
- At $61 per device, this makes the cost of Windows 10 custom support worldwide to be $7,381,122,000
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