What Happens if I Don’t Upgrade to Windows 11 soon?

If you’re a business decision-maker, you’re probably more than aware of 14^th October 2025 – the support cut-off date for Windows 10, which means that free security patches will no longer be available to any device not running on Windows 11.

Obviously, this date sounds quite far off in the future, and you may be tempted to think of it as not being a priority just yet.

The reality, however, is that if you haven’t yet started transitioning over to Windows 11, you are already behind, you need to catch up, and you need to do it while you still can.

Here’s three things that will happen if you don’t upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible:

Shortage of devices

With over 60.97% of Windows users still yet to upgrade from Windows 10, it’s clear that many businesses are under the impression that they have plenty of time left to upgrade.

However, the danger of this mind-set being quite common is that, come October 2025, new devices will likely be extremely hard to get a hold of. Even worse, with the potential of yet another mass shortage of microchips in 2025, there’s no telling how long you may have to wait after the cut-off to upgrade at all – meaning you could be lumped with unprotected devices for an unforeseeable amount of time, depending how long you leave it.

This, of course, may sound like bad news to any businesses who last upgraded their IT during the pandemic, since they will be due to upgrade their IT sometime next year. However, this actually represents a valuable opportunity – since, by acting now, you can get a head-start on reaping the benefits that Windows 11 brings to internal business operations.

Loss of competitive edge

Keeping your competitive edge is another compelling reason to upgrade your IT sooner rather than later. If your internal operations are not optimised for performance, you are immediately putting yourself at a disadvantage to any competitors who are using Windows 11.

However, by upgrading, you benefit from Windows 11’s many tools and features – which increase productivity by 15%, and accelerate workflows by 50% for boosted performance. Central to this is Microsoft Co-Pilot, a powerful AI tool capable of boosting employee output by taking seconds to complete lengthy tasks such as research, data collection, and content generation, among others.

For the most competitive edge, however, keeping your new, Windows 11-ready devices continually operational is much easier through a Managed Services provider. By aligning with a Managed IT Service, you’ll not only have installation and setup of new devices handled according to your specifications, but you’ll also be able to benefit from ongoing technical support without burdening your existing IT teams.

Loss of Cyber Essentials certification

Productivity tools, however, are just the tip of the iceberg of what Windows 11 can offer. Enhanced, hardware-based security is another prominent benefit – and with free ongoing security patches that don’t disrupt your operations, Windows 11 will only continue to evolve to battle cyber-threats more effectively.

That means that, the longer you put off your upgrade, the more you endanger your Cyber Essentials certification – since, as we touched on earlier, there is no guarantee you’ll be able to get hold of devices the closer we get to October 14^th. Without this certification, you don’t just put your workers at risk – but it’s also a big red flag to potential partners, shareholders, and customers.

If you’re unsure of how to begin your transition plan effectively, Cyber Security Services are available to provide you with expert guidance, helping you to restore your cyber-posture – whether you need a one-off session, ongoing support, or anything in between!

If you would like to learn more about Windows 11 and how we can support your transition, contact our experts today!