Microsoft has shared more details regarding its plans to transition individuals from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
They are said be changing a free offering into a paid structure if the user wishes to keep receiving security updates.
Windows 10 is in the process of being phased out, and will reach its end-of-life support on October 14th, 2025.
After this date, the company will start charging users a monthly fee for Extended Security Updates (ESU).
Businesses will be required to purchase an ESU license for all Windows 10 devices to keep receiving security updates after the cutoff date.
Pricing tiers will start at U$61.00 for the first year, double to U$122.00 in the second year, and then double again to U$244.00 for the third year. Any business that enters the ESU program later will be required to pay the cost of the time they missed.
Last December, Microsoft confirmed the ESU program will also be available for general consumers, but pricing has yet to be shared.
This pricing push appears to be the company’s attempt at slowly nudging users to upgrade to Windows 11.
Even though the operating system has been available since October 2021, it accounts for about 27% of global usership. Windows 10 accounts for 69%.
Studies have revealed upward of 80% of devices in the business sector are running Windows 10, and when businesses are upgrading to Windows 11, it’s preferred to replace old hardware with new devices, rather than update to the new software on old hardware.
Despite claims Windows 11 is slow, due to Microsoft’s hardware requirements, research revealed a large number of enterprise workstations meet the CPU, RAM, and TPM requirements.
Organisations have been put on notice by Microsoft, stating the ESU is a transitionary period.
“Extended Security Updates are not intended to be a long-term solution but rather a temporary bridge.”
“You can purchase ESU licenses for Windows 10 devices that you don’t plan to upgrade to Windows 11 starting in October 2024, one year before the end of support date.”
