What if you knew the exact date of your death?
Yes, I know that isn’t a great idea and certainly does not seem to fit in a technology blog but I promise that there is a tie-in. Not too many of our clients know that I was a funeral director for a decade before my career path took me into technology and system administration. During that time, I assisted with over 2,000 funerals. I dealt with all types of families and with many difficult situations. Some deaths are sudden and take everyone unawares. Others are expected; the result of a long illness or other prolonged situation. Some families pre-planned funeral arrangements, taking the time to account for everything that could be foreseen and making their decisions calmly and rationally. They could also choose to budget for their preferences without the immediacy that an unexpected death can bring on. I could go on to say that pre-planning your funeral is a very good thing for all involved, but I did promise a tie-in to technology.
Windows 10 End of Life is Coming Soon!
There is a known “end-of-life” date that is rapidly approaching us all. Microsoft has set October 14, 2025, as the date that Windows 10 will stop receiving technical support and security updates. Unlike in my previous occupation, the end-of-life for Windows 10 will not actually mean that the computer will die. We must still carefully consider what that specific date means and begin to plan accordingly.
You might have an easy and streamlined option. Perhaps you have been delaying the notifications from Microsoft suggesting that you upgrade to Windows 11 because of a fear of the unknown. "I know Windows 10, and I am comfortable with it," you might say to yourself. For anyone in this position, consider this...wouldn't it be nice for you to choose the time that you have to face that fear? Anyone in this position is indeed fortunate, and your discomfort will be minimal in comparison to some.
Unfortunately, you may not be so lucky as to have a direct-upgrade option. Windows 11 has some additional hardware requirements which means you will have to purchase a new computer for the transition. In the case of your business, this may mean that a large percentage of your hardware needs to be replaced. You should define a transition plan now, enabling you to also budget for the oncoming changes. It is easier for most offices to handle one computer transition at a time than to replace everything all at once.
There is another option that some businesses will choose to take, unfortunately. They will let the end-of-life date come and go without taking any action at all. While this is a low-effort option and certainly less expensive in the short term, the consequences could be severe. Depending on their business, there may be compliance requirements that could result in fines for failing to have supported operating systems. The lack of continued security updates will open their systems up to malware, ransomware, and other malicious activities that a fully patched and modern operating system would have helped to prevent.
I can attest that the upcoming end-of-life for Windows 10 will be far less traumatic than the other kind that people have to deal with. I can also assure you that planning ahead will make the event easier to handle and is the preferred way to face it.
If you're unsure about your options or need assistance with the transition, don't hesitate to contact us. Our team of experts can assess your current setup, provide recommendations, and guide you through the upgrade process.
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