Australia Windows 10 End of Support 2025: Partners Sprint to Windows 11

Australia’s channel has moved from planning to action as the October 14, 2025 deadline for Windows 10 end of support closes in, turning a long-noted migration challenge into an operational sprint for distributors, resellers and managed service providers across the country. The local ecosystem is now running a two-track play: accelerate device refresh and Windows 11 migrations where possible, and provide responsible stop‑gaps — such as Extended Security Updates (ESU) and LTSC/LTSB editions — for endpoints that cannot be upgraded immediately. This article summarises the current state of play, checks the technical facts channel partners are working with, analyses the strengths and remaining risks in the A/NZ market response, and offers clear, actionable advice for partners and IT teams planning the final months of their migration programs. (microsoft.com)

Background / Overview​

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 reaches end of support on October 14, 2025. After that date Microsoft stops shipping routine security updates, feature updates and free technical support for consumer editions of Windows 10; organisations can buy a one‑year ESU package that extends security fixes through October 13, 2026 for eligible devices. These specific dates and the ESU window are central to channel planning and are non-negotiable anchors for project schedules. (support.microsoft.com)
At the same time, some Long‑Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) and Long‑Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) editions remain supported for longer — for example, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 have extended support dates that stretch into 2029 and beyond, offering legally supported alternatives for some specialised deployments. Those extended lifecycles are important for regulated or specialised environments that cannot migrate quickly. (learn.microsoft.com)
The Australian channel response has consolidated around three practical activities:

• creating and promoting Windows 11 readiness and device assessment tools,
• using manufacturer and distributor incentives (MDF, leasing options) to create attractive refresh economics, and
• offering migration services — from readiness assessments to testing, packaging and phased rollouts — while supporting ESU and LTSC/LTSB sustainment where needed.

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What partners and distributors are doing now​

Dicker Data: tooling, training and inventory focus​

Dicker Data has been highly visible in the local push. The distributor has positioned a dedicated business development manager for Windows 10 refreshes, produced a Windows 11 Readiness Assessment Tool that consumes Intune, PC Health Check and SCCM exports to generate customer‑branded readiness reports, and run joint events with OEMs to accelerate partner enablement. Dicker Data also works to ensure local inventory availability, a critical variable as device demand increases ahead of the deadline.
Why that matters: partners need both the technical assets (readiness reports, testing templates) and commercial levers (stock, leasing and incentives) to convert backlog opportunity into closed deals — particularly for mid‑market customers who are now responsive to targeted refresh offers.

Ingram Micro: enablement and analytics​

Ingram Micro is focusing on structured enablement (partner training, national engagement programs) and analytic tools like Ingram Micro Xvantage Power BI to help partners find and prioritise opportunity. The distributor’s activity centres on helping partners communicate the business risk of inaction and the productivity/ security benefits of migration to Windows 11. This is important for partners who must move beyond technical messaging to commercial justification for their customers.

Managed services, testing and specialist partners​

Specialist services players — from large consultants to boutique testing firms — report significant enterprise activity. Migration projects in finance and other regulated industries typically require application repackaging and isolated testing, and partners have found modern testing tools reduce defect counts and streamline user acceptance cycles. However, complexity and backlog remain the dominant friction points. These vendors are helping customers with phased rollouts, application remediation and, where necessary, ESU procurement and sustainment plans.

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The technical and commercial reality: verified facts you must plan around​

• Windows 10 end of support: October 14, 2025. No more routine security updates or technical support for consumer/mainstream Windows 10 after this date. (microsoft.com)
• Consumer ESU: Microsoft is offering a one‑year Extended Security Updates (ESU) path that provides security‑only updates through October 13, 2026 for eligible devices; Microsoft has described several enrollment paths including free or low‑cost consumer routes to make the option broadly accessible. ESU is a stop‑gap — not a solution for modern management or AI‑ready device requirements. (microsoft.com)
• LTSC/LTSB lifecycles: some Windows 10 LTSC/LTSB editions continue to receive support well past 2025 — for example Enterprise LTSB 2016 ends extended support on October 13, 2026, while Enterprise LTSC 2019 extends into 2029 and IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 into 2032 — depending on the exact SKU and licensing vehicle. These channels are legitimate sustainment options for specialised device fleets but are not necessarily available to new customers without volume licensing. (learn.microsoft.com)
• Final servicing activity: Microsoft is pushing last maintenance builds into the Release Preview ring in the weeks ahead of EOS to stabilise devices — administrators should treat last‑minute updates as validation candidates that should be tested in pilot rings before broad rollout.

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Channel strength: what the Aussie market gets right​

1) Tools, training and vertical collaboration​

The channel’s most immediate advantage is its tooling and training investment. Distributor readiness tools that integrate Intune, SCCM and PC Health Check data produce consistent, customer‑branded outputs that make the upgrade conversation concrete. Paired with OEM refresh events, finance/leasing support and targeted MDF, this approach tackles three traditional blockers: assessment friction, procurement cost and skills gaps.

2) Focus on high‑risk regulated sectors​

Sectors that are highly regulated — government, health, defence and finance — largely finished or are close to finishing device refreshes, driven by statutory or certification requirements. This early completion is reducing exposure for the highest‑risk organisations and demonstrates how regulation can catalyse decisive migration activity.

3) Mature migration playbooks (testing, packaging, piloting)​

Partners report that modern testing tooling and phased rollout models are reducing defect counts in user acceptance testing. The learning curve from previous major OS upgrades (Windows 7→10, etc.) means many partners now have repeatable packaging and validation processes, which reduces migration time and improves success rates.

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Remaining and emerging risks​

Risk: SMB inertia and economic headwinds​

Small and medium‑sized businesses are the soft underbelly of the migration plan. Many SMBs see device refresh as a discretionary cost and are prioritising other investments (cybersecurity, AI pilots, digital transformation). That leaves a large tail of Windows 10 devices at heightened risk post‑October 14, 2025, and creates opportunity for the channel — but only if partners can scale education, affordable financing and low‑touch migration services.

Risk: application complexity and specialist endpoints​

Finance, retail POS systems, manufacturing workstations and some IoT devices often run bespoke or certified applications that require repackaging, re‑certification and careful phased deployment. These endpoints are frequently tied to multi‑year refresh cycles; forcing an upgrade without a validated plan risks downtime and compliance breaches. For many of these devices the practical choice will be ESU or staying on an LTSC/LTSB SKU until a planned refresh date.

Risk: supply chain timing and inventory management​

Device supply and lead times remain unpredictable. As demand spikes approaching the EOS cut‑off, partners risk stockouts and longer provisioning windows. Distributors that have prioritised local stock and OEM alignment are better positioned — but this variable could still compress project timelines and increase hybrid deployment costs.

Risk: rushed migrations that skip modern management foundations​

A serious but avoidable risk is the scramble‑mode migration that deploys Windows 11 in‑place across fleets without fully implementing cloud‑native device management (Intune, Autopilot/Windows Autopatch, Entra/Autht) or modern identity. That approach can leave organisations in a brittle state and repeat the same operational debt when the next OS cycle arrives. Partners must avoid being incentivised to do surface‑level upgrades that don’t modernise management.

Risk: cost of ESU and false economy​

ESU buys time at a price. It protects devices from critical vulnerabilities for a defined window, but it does not deliver modern security features or long‑term cost savings. For many customers, especially SMBs, paying for ESU and then performing the same migration later may be more expensive overall than prioritising an accelerated Windows 11/Intune migration now. This is an economic reality partners should make explicit in their proposals. (microsoft.com)

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Practical recommendations for channel partners​

To convert opportunity while reducing exposure, partners should prioritise the following sequence:

1. Inventory and prioritise: run device and app inventories, classify endpoints by risk/complexity/compatibility, and identify regulated or business‑critical systems.
2. Assess and report: use readiness assessment tools (Intune/SCCM/PC Health Check exports) to produce customer‑branded readiness reports and clear migration roadmaps.
3. Segment customers: target regulated and high‑risk sectors first, move mid‑market next with leasing incentives, and scale SMB offers into low‑touch, finance‑friendly bundles.
4. Modernise management: wherever possible, migrate to Intune/Autopilot and Entra Join as part of the OS upgrade to avoid future repeat migrations.
5. Pilot, validate, then scale: always run pilot rings (technical and UAT) before broad deployment and reserve in‑place upgrades for devices where modern management is impossible.
6. Use ESU strategically: present ESU as a time‑boxed contingency for specialist endpoints, coupled with a firm migration plan and budget.
7. Add compensating controls: for devices extended on ESU, add network segmentation, EDR/EDR‑X, and heightened monitoring to reduce attack surface.

These steps are actionable and reflect the practical lessons partners have reported when executing migration programs at scale.

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Advice for IT decision‑makers (what to ask your partner)​

• Do you have an up‑to‑date device and application inventory with upgrade risk scoring?
• Can you produce a branded Windows 11 readiness report that shows which devices qualify for a free upgrade and which need replacement?
• What is your recommended timeline for our environment, including pilot windows, application testing and rollback plans?
• What are the costs and implications of using ESU for our most critical endpoints versus accelerating the refresh schedule?
• Will you implement Intune/Autopilot and modern identity as part of the migration, or simply do in‑place OS upgrades?

Asking these questions enforces good discipline and ensures that the migration is a controlled IT project rather than an emergency scramble.

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What success looks like — and how to measure it​

A successful program will be measurable and auditable. Use these KPIs:

• Percentage of devices upgraded or replaced by risk category (regulated, business‑critical, standard).
• Number of critical applications tested and validated in pilot rings.
• Proportion of estate enrolled in modern device management (Intune) post‑migration.
• Number of devices on ESU and their documented decommission timelines.
• Post‑migration security posture: EDR coverage, patch compliance, and incident response readiness.

Success is not simply "zero devices on Windows 10" — it’s a resilient, manageable estate that uses modern management and reduces long‑term operational risk.

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Final analysis: why the channel can win — and where partners must be cautious​

The Australian channel has turned its attention to the Windows 10 deadline and mobilised real assets: readiness tooling, OEM/distributor stock alignment, finance options, training and focused enablement. Those are exactly the levers needed to convert backlog opportunity into successful migrations. Distributor initiatives — the readiness toolsets, partner enablement and joint OEM events — materially improve partners’ ability to discover opportunity and execute at scale.
However, the remaining challenge is execution at scale under economic pressure. SMB inertia, device supply variability, specialist application complexity and the temptation to perform quick, unmanaged in‑place upgrades are tangible threats to long‑term outcomes. Partners must resist the short‑term sale and instead sell a managed journey that includes modern device management, secure interim measures for specialist endpoints, and a transparent financial plan for customers across segments. ESU is a legitimate, but expensive, short‑term measure — and should be sold only with a clear expiry and migration plan attached. (microsoft.com)
A final operational imperative: treat pilot testing and staged rollouts as non‑negotiable. Microsoft’s last servicing pushes into Release Preview underscore that administrators should expect late fixes and validate before broad deployment. A hurried, incompletely tested upgrade is where hidden costs, user disruption and security gaps appear — and where reputations suffer.

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Conclusion​

The channel in Australia has shifted into execution mode for the Windows 10 end‑of‑support transition. Distributors and partners have mobilised tools, finance and training, and early wins in regulated sectors show the model works. The remaining battle will be convincing cost‑conscious SMBs, managing specialist endpoints that cannot be rushed, and avoiding the trap of cosmetic upgrades that skip modern management foundations.
For partners, opportunity is significant but conditional: success requires disciplined assessment, modern management adoption, reliable inventory/stock management, clear financial options and honest positioning about ESU as a temporary bridge. For customers, the core takeaway is the same: plan now, prioritise critical endpoints, insist on pilot testing and accept that ESU can buy time — but not a modern management strategy.
The countdown is real, the rules are fixed, and the channel has both the tools and the commercial levers to finish well — provided the final months are treated as the highest‑priority operational program many organisations have run in years.

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Source: ARNnet Aussie channel steps up for Windows 10 end of support - ARN