Prepare for Windows 11: Modernize with HP AI PCs and Compugen by Oct 2025

The countdown to October 14, 2025 is no longer a background calendar item — it’s an operational deadline that transforms a routine OS migration into a strategic modernization program that can materially reduce risk, lower support cost, and prepare staff for an AI-first workplace by refreshing fleets with Windows 11 and AI‑capable PCs from HP, delivered and managed through channel partners such as Compugen.

Background / Overview​

Windows 10 reaches official end of support on October 14, 2025. After that date Microsoft will no longer provide routine security updates, bug fixes, or standard technical assistance for Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise and Education editions; organizations that cannot complete migration immediately may buy time through the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for a limited, costly period.
That calendar fact is the primary planning anchor IT leaders must use to weigh three practical choices:

• Migrate devices to Windows 11 (in‑place upgrades where eligible, or hardware refresh where required);
• Buy time via ESU for selected critical devices; or
• Re-architect workloads to cloud-hosted desktops (Windows 365 / Azure Virtual Desktop) to absorb ESU risk for eligible instances.

Microsoft’s ESU pricing for commercial customers is explicit: list pricing starts at $61 USD per device for Year One, and doubles each subsequent year (Year Two $122, Year Three $244) — a structure designed to encourage migration rather than long-term reliance on ESU. Microsoft’s technical guidance and lifecycle pages are the authoritative references for these program mechanics.
The vendor and channel narrative that follows — exemplified by pieces such as the CIO/Compugen brief and HP product messaging — makes a clear argument: treating this migration as a compliance task would be a missed opportunity. Done right, an estate refresh can deliver measurable productivity gains, stronger endpoint resilience, and an operational foundation for on‑device and hybrid AI experiences.

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Why modernization can’t wait​

Compliance and explicit cost pressure​

The ESU program creates an immediate financial lever. For organizations with substantial legacy inventories, the per‑device ESU fees compound rapidly — which makes a phased migration or targeted hardware refresh financially compelling when compared with multi‑year ESU renewals. Microsoft’s published ESU pricing and lifecycle details are essential inputs to any migration TCO model.

Endpoint-driven risk​

Endpoints remain the dominant entry vector for many attacks; industry and vendor analyses repeatedly highlight the endpoint as the place most successful breaches begin. While the precise percentage differs by study and definition, multiple security briefs and analyst notes continue to surface the same operational reality: unpatched or poorly maintained endpoints materially increase breach risk and post‑incident remediation cost. Treat endpoint exposure as an enterprise‑level risk that escalates after EOL.

Productivity and employee experience​

Aging devices create productivity drag: slow boots, inconsistent audio/video quality during calls, battery anxiety, and elevated help‑desk volume. Vendor and channel research—backed by customer surveys quoted in industry briefs—report high percentages of users who feel constrained by legacy hardware. Those user‑experience deficits translate to lost time and elevated support costs; a well‑executed refresh both reduces friction and lowers incident volume. Note: many of the productivity percentages cited in vendor materials are vendor‑measured; they should be validated against representative pilots in your own environment before being baked into ROI forecasts.

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What HP’s Windows 11, AI‑powered PCs bring to the table​

HP’s product messaging and partner materials define an integrated set of capabilities intended for hybrid work: hardware‑rooted security, on‑device AI features for meetings and content workflows, power and thermal management that optimize battery life, and management/telemetry services for fleet visibility.

Smart Sense: dynamic performance and acoustics​

HP’s Smart Sense is presented as a platform service that monitors workloads and adapts power and thermal profiles to reduce fan noise while preserving responsiveness. HP’s launch materials claim Smart Sense can make systems “up to 40% quieter” and improve average task throughput; that figure is drawn from HP’s internal lab testing and appears in HP press materials and partner coverage. Independent reviews and product tests report similar directionally positive outcomes for fan noise and thermal controls on specific models, though real‑world results depend on configuration, workload mix and firmware revisions. Treat the 40% figures as vendor performance claims that warrant verification in a pilot with your standard workloads.

Collaboration features: Auto Frame, AI noise reduction, and camera control​

HP’s “Presence” and collaboration toolkit includes:

• HP Auto Frame / Auto‑Camera Select — keeps a subject framed correctly during meetings as they move;
• AI‑based noise reduction and Dynamic Voice Leveling — reduce background noise and normalise voice levels for clearer remote meetings;
• Integration into configurable experiences via HP’s myHP app and firmware utilities.

These features are OEM‑implemented extensions of the broader on‑device AI trend (NPUs / Copilot+ enablement) and are widely available across HP’s Elite and Pro lineups. They materially reduce friction in hybrid meetings and can be validated easily in user acceptance pilots.

The Copilot key and on‑device AI affordances​

Windows 11 vendors — including Microsoft — introduced a dedicated Copilot key on modern keyboards, plus system shortcuts (Windows+C) that summon the Copilot assistant. OEMs such as HP ship Copilot‑key‑equipped keyboards on Copilot+ and many AI‑optimized models. Microsoft has published guidance for admins on how this key behaves and how it can be remapped in managed fleets. The key is a small hardware change with outsized UX impact: it surfaces AI helpers at the point of intent and makes those experiences discoverable.

Battery, sustainment, and ergonomic gains​

HP’s recent product literature highlights a set of power‑management features — Battery Manager dashboards, Intelligent Hibernate, and power telemetry — intended to extend usable battery life and reduce device downtime for mobile workers. Product pages and third‑party reviews describe these features and how they can be managed at the fleet level; again, the user benefit is highest when firmware, drivers and management policies are consistently applied. Vendor claims about “longer runtimes” are credible but must be quantified against your typical job mix (Teams calls, local VDI, creative workloads).

Security: chip‑to‑cloud and physical tamper detection​

HP’s security stack is built around HP Wolf Security and platform protections such as HP Sure Start (BIOS integrity recovery), HP Tamper Lock (physical intrusion detection), and HP Protect & Trace / Wolf Connect (remote locate, lock, and erase — even when devices are offline in certain configurations). These capabilities are hardware‑backed and extend the protection surface below the OS, which is especially valuable as the perimeter fragments in hybrid work. HP’s security portfolio is well‑documented on the HP Wolf pages and the press materials describing the Enterprise Security Edition. For organizations that combine on‑device protections with modern endpoint detection and response (EDR) and strong identity controls (MFA, conditional access), the incremental risk reduction is real and measurable.

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The partnership angle: Compugen + HP + Microsoft​

Compugen positions itself as a “Technology Ally” for North American customers, offering services that range from planning and procurement to deployment, device-as-a-service financing, and managed lifecycle operations. Compugen’s messaging (and the CIO/Compugen brief provided to IT audiences) frames the migration as a full modernization program — not a narrow OS swap — and cites a projected 250% ROI over three years when organizations pair Windows 11, HP hardware and managed deployment services. That ROI figure is framed as an outcome of reduced ESU exposure, fewer helpdesk tickets, and productivity gains.
Critical note: the 250% ROI number appears as a partner‑level projection; it is plausible in many scenarios but depends entirely on the assumptions applied (device age distribution, role‑based productivity baselines, PC utilization patterns, application compatibility work, financing costs, and ESU vs capex tradeoffs). Any procurement or board memo that uses an ROI figure should include the model inputs, sensitivity analysis and pilot results before being relied upon for decision making. Independent TCO modelling — using organization‑specific telemetry such as app usage, boot times, help‑desk ticket volumes, and device inventory — is essential to transform vendor projections into executable plans.

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Roadmap: practical steps to refresh with confidence​

This section translates the conceptual case into a pragmatic, staged approach you can take in the next 6–18 months.

1. Triage and inventory (0–2 months)​

• Run an accurate device inventory and posture assessment (hardware SKU, TPM/Secure Boot status, CPU compatibility with Windows 11).
• Inject telemetry: measure boot times, Teams/Zoom call quality, battery health, and ticket categories for the last 12 months.
• Classify endpoints into three cohorts: Upgradeable (in‑place), Replace (hardware incompatible or beyond expected TCO), and ESU‑covered (short‑term bridge).

Use endpoint analytics and DEX tools to make this deterministic rather than guesswork. Microsoft, HP and channel partners offer scripts and tooling, but internal telemetry is the ultimate truth.

2. Pilot (2–4 months)​

• Select a representative pilot group (knowledge workers, frontline workers, power users).
• Test Windows 11 image, HP device models (or your preferred OEM models), and the HP Presence / Smart Sense features you expect to deploy.
• Validate EDR/AV compatibility, application performance, battery life baselines, videoconferencing UX, and manageability via Intune/Autopatch or your chosen UEM.

Measure: ticket volume, subjective user satisfaction, real battery runtime, noise levels, and any application regressions.

3. Finance and procurement (concurrent with pilot)​

• Evaluate financing alternatives: device-as-a-service, capital purchase, or hybrid replacement—modeling ESU cost avoidance against finance charges.
• Lock in lead times: market demand and supply-chain timing are a practical constraint as 2025 procurement windows tighten.

4. Phased roll‑out and management (4–14 months)​

• Roll out in waves, prioritising high‑risk or high‑impact groups first (for example, executives, critical operations, or teams using compliance‑sensitive data).
• Apply staged imaging, compliance policies, and automated enrollment (Autopilot / Autopatch / Intune).
• Ensure firmware and BIOS are kept at vendor‑recommended levels during and after deployment for HP security features to work as advertised.

5. Post‑deployment optimisation and measurement (ongoing)​

• Track helpdesk tickets, device failure rates, perceived productivity, and energy consumption.
• Revisit device retirement policies and asset recycling (synchronous with sustainability objectives).

This staged approach keeps disruption low while creating real, measurable baselines against which vendor claims (e.g., quieter fans, performance uplift, fewer tickets) can be validated.

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Evaluating the claims: strengths and cautions​

Strengths​

• Security-first hardware: HP’s chip‑to‑cloud stack is a meaningful step forward — features such as Sure Start and Protect & Trace are hardware‑backed and reduce firmware and physical attack risk. For regulated industries and mobile workforces, hardware‑rooted protections are an important upgrade.
• On‑device AI that reduces friction: Camera and audio enhancements (Auto Frame, AI noise suppression) provide immediate and low‑effort usability improvements for hybrid meetings that drive day‑to‑day ROI in reduced meeting friction and fewer complaints.
• Vendor ecosystem and services: Channel partners like Compugen can reduce project complexity by taking on the planning, procurement, and rollout burden — an attractive option for constrained IT shops.

Cautions and verification points​

• Vendor performance claims need contextual validation: Statements such as “40% quieter and 40% faster on average” are drawn from OEM testing (and often selective workloads). Validate those claims in your environment with pilot measurements before making enterprise budgeting assumptions.
• ROI projections are model‑sensitive: Any headline ROI number (Compugen’s 250% over three years, in this case) depends on the baseline assumptions — ticket volumes, user productivity uplift, financing terms, salvage value, and ESU adoption rates. Treat vendor ROI figures as directional until you run a tailored TCO.
• Application and driver compatibility: Windows 11 hardware prerequisites (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, approved CPU families) remain a blocker for some endpoints. Some legacy line‑of‑business apps require validation or remediation. Expect and budget for application compatibility testing and, in a subset of cases, rehosting or virtualization.
• Supply and timing risk: The market is responding to the Windows 10 EOL, and shipment windows for certain SKUs can tighten. Start procurement planning early to avoid long lead times and constrained configuration choices.

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Practical checklist for IT leaders (short, actionable)​

• Inventory accuracy: ensure device, BIOS and firmware data are up to date.
• Pilot first: measure noise, battery, video, and ticket KPIs for real workloads.
• Confirm ESU tradeoffs: calculate per‑device ESU cost vs. refresh cost for each cohort.
• Secure the supply chain: confirm lead times and financing for critical SKUs.
• Validate security posture: ensure HP Wolf features and Microsoft VBS/TPM interactions are enabled and managed.
• Align finance, procurement and security teams for board‑level approval.

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Conclusion​

The October 14, 2025 Windows 10 end‑of‑support date is a hard deadline, but it also presents a practical modernization window: refresh fleets to Windows 11 with AI‑capable PCs and you can reduce risk, improve employee experience, and unlock new on‑device AI workflows that lower routine friction. HP’s portfolio stitches together hardware‑rooted security, collaboration enhancements and power management; Compugen’s managed services model aims to convert that technology into repeatable, measurable outcomes. However, the headline performance and ROI figures published by vendors are starting points — not substitutes for organisation‑specific pilots and TCO modelling. Use the next 60–120 days to inventory, pilot, and build a validated migration plan so you can refresh with confidence rather than urgency.

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Source: cio.com Windows 11 + HP AI-powered PCs: Refresh with confidence