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The importance of upgrading to the latest Windows operating system | Computer Weekly

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The importance of upgrading to the latest Windows operating system | Computer Weekly


Windows 10 was launched in July 2015. It was supposed to be the last major operating system (OS) upgrade, but Microsoft released Windows 11 in October 2021, and now Windows 10 has reached end of life, which means it will no longer be updated.

Consumers who register for extended support and back up their PCs in the Microsoft cloud will be able to get free security updates until October 2026. Corporate PCs and devices connected to Active Directory will only receive Windows 10 security updates if they are covered by an Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription.  

In July, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that the security risks of not upgrading are significant. As the NCSC notes in a blog post on its website, in addition to the difficulties associated with being out of support, an out-of-date operating system is a prime target for cyber criminals.

“We saw this when a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6-11 was exploited after Windows XP support ended on 8 April 2014, and before it was patched on 1 May 2014. And again in 2017, a vulnerability in unpatched versions of XP was exploited extensively by the WannaCry ransomware – an attack which resulted in huge costs and damage globally,” says the NCSC in the post.

Analyst Forrester’s Say goodbye to Windows 10 to reduce your cyber risk report points out that Windows 11 now has significant security features that are not available in Windows 10. These include administrator protection that Forrester says helps enable least privileged access. There is a feature called Smart App Control, which is used to validate the applications before they are run. In the report, Forrester notes that the latest version of Credential Guard extends account protection to machine account passwords, which is a new feature in Windows 11.

“Much has been made about Microsoft’s plans to better control the security of the kernel after CrowdStrike’s 2024 issue. Their goal isn’t to completely lock out vendors, but to ensure incidents like this don’t reoccur; if features and functions can be moved out of the kernel and into the user space, they should be,” write Forrester analysts Paddy Harrington, Merritt Maxim, Sophia Barrett and Christine Turley in the report.

But the improvements in Windows security also make it more difficult to move older hardware onto Windows 11. One of the difficulties holding organisations back is the hardware requirements of Windows 11, which introduced a need for PCs to have the Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0), UEFI and support for Secure Boot. “If your devices lack even one of these features, you’ll be unable to upgrade easily,” says the NCSC. 

System requirements for Windows 10 and 11

Following an analysis of its customers’ PCs, Nexthink estimates there has been a 33% decrease in Windows 10 devices between 19 May and 1 August. Assuming a further 33% reduction by 14 October – the date on which support officially ends – this leaves around 121 million Windows 10 PCs still running the operating system at the end of support deadline.

Discussing the challenge of migration, Tim Flower, DEX strategist at Nexthink, says: “Windows 11 brings powerful new capabilities, but only if devices and employees are ready to take advantage of them.”

Why Windows 10 wasn’t the last major OS update

Microsoft releases two major updates of its Windows operating system each year. Windows 10 was supposed to be the largest refresh before it moved to bi-annual updates, as Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal recalls.

“When Windows 10 came out after Windows 7, Microsoft, I’m sure, said it was going to be the last big operating system upgrade,” he says. “Effectively, Microsoft was saying there would be no Windows 11 after Windows 10, and we took that for gospel to mean that it would be the last upgrade.”

However, in a Computer Weekly YouTube video, Atwal points out that the success of the Windows operating system actually hinders progress.

“So much legacy software and peripherals are supported through the operating system. At some point, that’s just become too much in terms of the code and managing the updates,” he says.

What this implies is that, at some point, updates to device driver software will no longer be available. If a PC continues to run outdated device drivers, there is a risk that the old driver software could have a known vulnerability that is being exploited. Clearly, Microsoft is unwilling to coordinate the effort required to support device drivers indefinitely, which means that perfectly good peripherals will lose support eventually; they may still run using the older (legacy) device driver, but there will not be any newer versions (see box: MacOS end-of-life).

To discourage people from trying to continue using these device drivers, Windows 11 uses a feature called Secure Boot, which enforces signed device drivers. This means only software that has a current digital signature can be installed. But like many features in Windows, there are workarounds, and unless an IT department runs a fully locked-down PC environment, savvy end users can workaround the Secure Boot feature.

Moving to Windows 11

The NCSC says Windows 11 introduces a secure-by-default setup, which includes BitLocker, virtualisation-based security (VBS) and support for native passkey management. While some of these features were available in Windows 10, they are now switched on by default. “Devices that don’t meet Windows 11 hardware requirements – and are therefore unable to use the features that are needed to secure Windows – remain fundamentally vulnerable to attack,” the NCSC warns.

Among the benefits of migrating is the built-in artificial intelligence (AI) that Microsoft is promoting, which is available in Copilot+ PCs. AI PCs will represent 31% of the total PC market globally by the end of 2025, according to Gartner. The analyst firm’s latest forecast projects that worldwide shipments of AI PCs will total 77.8 million units in 2025.

By the end of 2026, Gartner expects 40% of software providers to prioritise investments in AI capabilities directly on PCs, up from 2% in 2024. In the same year, multiple small language models (SLMs) will run locally on PCs, up from zero in 2023.

Unlike five years ago, there is growing interest in using ARM-based hardware to support AI inference workloads on Windows 11. According to Microsoft, ARM-based PCs offer all-day battery life.

Gartner’s forecast shows that ARM-based laptops will gain a larger share of the consumer market than the business market, as application compatibility challenges are overcome. Its research found that business users prefer x86 PCs to run Windows. According to Gartner, the x86 PC market is expected to make up 71% of the AI business laptop market in 2025, with ARM making up 24%.

Discussing the forecast, Atwal says: “Businesses are evaluating ARM-based PCs to understand if it is a viable platform. The issue is that not all of the applications they need run on ARM at the moment, although the large majority of applications are ARM-compatible.”

Microsoft says applications need to be rebuilt to run natively on Windows ARM-based PCs. Applications that have not been rebuilt can be run using the Prism emulation that was shipped with Windows 11, version 24H2.

Atwal expects more native ARM applications to become available over the next 12 months. In particular, he sees an opportunity to use small language models directly on AI PCs, offering faster response times, lower energy consumption and reduced reliance on cloud services.

As Atwal notes, SLMs provide task-specific intelligence. “Since the AI runs directly on devices, SLMs help keep user and business data secure,” he adds.

Over time, the partnership between Qualcomm and Microsoft to deliver ARM-based Copilot+ PCs is likely to result in an enterprise alternative to x86-based Windows hardware.

“That partnership is driving ARM onto mainstream PCs, which is different to where we were maybe five years ago or 10 years ago when ARM hardware was around the edges,” says Atwal.

However, the support for new hardware and constant development of new and improved PC peripherals mean Microsoft will continue to be challenged with how much legacy software the Windows OS can support. From an IT management perspective, this means support for older hardware will continue to drop and IT leaders will continue to plan PC and operating system refreshes to ensure their PC estate remains current.

Graphic shows Microsoft Windows timeline, from the first public preview in 1983 to the release of Windows 11 in 2021
Microsoft Windows Timeline



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The Best Cyber Monday Streaming Deals With a Convenient Roommate’s Email Address

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The Best Cyber Monday Streaming Deals With a Convenient Roommate’s Email Address


HBO knows you’re bored and cold. It wants you to Max and chill with Noah Wyle in scrubs. The company offers some of the best Cyber Monday streaming deals with a ridiculously low-priced $3/month offer for basic HBO Max (it’s the version with ads and 2K streaming, but still, super-cheap). Disney Plus and Hulu deals are bundled up for $5/month. Apple TV wants back in your life for $6.

Of course, this deal is only meant for new customers. Not boring ol’ existing customers. If you already have basic HBO Max, you’re already paying $11 for the same service, and HBO would like you to keep doing that. Streaming apps are banking on you being complacent and happy in your streaming life. Maybe they’re even taking you for granted.

Sometimes you can get the current deal just by threatening to cancel, or actually canceling, your account. Suddenly, you’re an exciting new customer again! Another method is by using an alternate email account (perhaps your spouse’s or roommate’s?) and alternate payment information as a new customer. If you do use a burner email (you did not hear this from me), check in on your favorite app’s terms of service to make sure you’re not in violation by re-enrolling with different emails. I’ll also issue the caveat that you lose all your viewing data and tailored suggestions if you sign up anew.

But times and wallets are tight! And $3 HBO Max sounds pretty good. After all, every middle-aged American man needs to rewatch The Wire once every five years or so—assuming he’s not the kind of middle-aged man who rewatches The Sopranos instead. Here are the current best streaming deals for Cyber Monday 2025.


Devon Maloney; ARCHIVE ID: 546772

Regular price: $80



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SAP user group chair warns of AI low-hanging fruit risks | Computer Weekly

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SAP user group chair warns of AI low-hanging fruit risks | Computer Weekly


The UK and Ireland SAP User Group (UKISUG) Connect 25 conference has opened in Birmingham with a keynote session recognising the challenges business face.

The user group itself has adapted to changes in the technology market such as the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in business applications and the economic climate that has a profound effect on its members’ ability to deliver value with enterprise technology.

In his keynote presentation, Conor Riordan, chair of UKISUG, said: “As an organisation, we have to change, to position ourselves as we move from the old to the new.”

The user group has a 2030 plan, recognising the shifts in enterprise software. For instance, there is the shift to no-code and low-code tooling, which has implications on the agility of enterprise software development. Riordan noted that the current business climate and geopolitical volatility means that there is a huge pressure to reduce costs, leading to cuts in training budgets and the challenge of delivering more with less, adding: “We need to have process change.”

Moving to a future where organisations are using data to make more dependable decisions, Riordan noted that SAP is moving to a dynamic ecosystem of applications and AI, but the challenge is how quickly businesses can start taking advantage of the AI now available in their business applications. “We see members say SAP AI will help them,” Riordan said.

But many are concerned how the new technology now available will deliver a return on investment (ROI). For Riordan, IT decision-makers need to be wary of tackling the so-called low-hanging fruit, the use cases that the industry sells to the executive team: “It is really complex work, and the low-hanging fruit is not that low hanging. It will take years, not months, to deliver value.”

A poll of delegates at the conference found that 78% of respondents are just getting started with AI, while 29% say their AI initiatives have under-delivered.

“This stuff is not easy,” Riordan said, adding that the challenge is one of process re-engineering and culture change, and that he believes humans need to be at the centre of decision-making. “We ask partners to be reasonable in their productivity claims so we can all succeed together.”

The Value of AI in the UK: Growth, people & data from SAP and Oxford Economics, which was published in October 2025, notes that customers are investing £16m in AI on average this year. The report’s authors predict this will increase by 40% within the next two years. However, the theme coming out of the keynote session at Connect25 is that few companies are really using AI.

Another big topic covered during the keynote is the end of support for SAP products. With SAP’s 2027 maintenance deadline for SAP ECC 6.0 fast approaching, many organisations are now embarking on their migration journey to SAP S/4Hana. More than half (54%) of respondents said that gaining access to SAP’s AI offerings will influence their future deployment of SAP.

Among attendees of Connect25, 49% said they are working towards the 2027 deadline. Riordan called on SAP to help customers to move to the cloud and build a tangible business case.

During her keynote speech, Leila Romane, managing director of SAP UK & Ireland, spoke about the AI opportunity, saying: “We are helping customers unleash new value with business AI.”

SAP’s strategy is to drive business value through the power of AI, data and its enterprise applications, with the SAP Cloud integral in SAP’s strategy to deliver AI-enablement across its enterprise software suite. Romane said SAP recognised that its customers were all at different stages of their cloud journey, adding: “Our commitment is to help you move.”



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Hong Kong FWA services market set for 9.6% growth | Computer Weekly

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Hong Kong FWA services market set for 9.6% growth | Computer Weekly


Analysis from GlobalData is forecasting that fixed wireless access (FWA) service revenue in Hong Kong is expected to increase at a “healthy” compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% between 2025 and 2030.

The latest Hong Kong Total Fixed Communications Forecast set out to quantify current and future demand and spending on mobile services for the special administrative region of China. It noted that growth was being driven by Hong Kong’s extensive 5G network coverage and could also be attributed to local operators’ efforts to expand FWA services and position it as an alternative to traditional fibre broadband services for both residential and commercial sectors, meeting growing demand for high-speed connectivity in areas where extending fibre lines is challenging.

“High-density urban and suburban centres of Hong Kong create a strong business case for FWA services due to their cost-effective and rapid deployments without the complex infrastructure and civil work required for extending fibre-optic lines to such locations,” said Neha Misra, senior analyst at GlobalData.

“Competitive, feature-rich plans from the operators will also help drive its adoption over the forecast period. For instance, HKBN’s 5G Home Broadband Plan provides unlimited 5G broadband data (subject to a 300GB with a fair-usage policy) for HKD118 per month on a 24-month contract, along with a seven-day trial guarantee. The plan also includes a waiver of the HKD28 monthly administration fee and complimentary access to the basic HomeShield security plan.”

In addition to HKBN, the study noted that operators such as 3 Hong Kong and HKT are also using their extensive 5G networks to offer home broadband services, particularly in areas with limited fibre infrastructure. It cited HKT as recently having successfully deployed mmWave-based FWA to deliver ultra-high-speed internet to rural areas and outlying islands.

“Growing demand for FWA provides operators a strong revenue opportunity by expanding home and SME broadband without the high capital intensity of fibre roll-out,” Misra added. “By leveraging nationwide 5G coverage, introducing competitively priced service plans and bundling digital home services, operators can unlock higher ARPU [average revenue per user], accelerate market penetration in underserved areas and diversify beyond traditional revenues.”

GlobalData believes the Hong Kong government’s smart city initiatives will also open new opportunities for FWA, especially 5G FWA, which can deliver high-speed internet to power applications such as the digital economy, digital governance and e-health services, while supporting the city’s dense urban environment and digital transformation goals under the Smart City Blueprint 2.0.

The original blueprint was set out in December 2017, outlining 76 initiatives under six smart areas, namely Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Government and Smart Economy. Blueprint 2.0 puts forth more than 130 initiatives that continue to enhance and expand existing city management measures and services. The new initiatives aim to bring benefits and convenience to the public so that residents can better perceive the benefits of smart city innovation and technology.



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