1E recently conducted a survey to identify how organizations are coping with the Windows 10 migration challenge. The “Windows 10 2020: Beyond the Migration” report highlights that many organizations are far off completing their migration. Equally alarming, many organizations’ IT software estates are poorly managed and lacking an effective IT governance strategy.
You’re probably sick of hearing about the upcoming Windows 7 support deadline, but we won’t stop talking about it. Until, perhaps, 14 January 2020, from which point we’ll be hammering home the challenge of Windows servicing.

Without Windows 10, you’re leaving your data open to hackers.

This point cannot be emphasized enough and is one of the reasons why you must migrate now. You’ll have heard it a thousand times before, but here it is again: Microsoft will no longer be pushing out security updates to older versions of Windows after the January deadline. And that means you’re willingly opening your door to bad actors without a complete migration.
The risk a security breach poses to your company data is self-evident. But what about your responsibility to protect your customers’ data? The (too many) high-profile data breaches of recent years prove that bad press is, well, bad press and can affect your revenue. It only takes one exposed endpoint to trigger a major security breach.

The ongoing Windows migration saga highlights bigger, deep-rooted problems around IT governance and maintaining current state.

Most strikingly, survey respondents told us that, on average, only 66% of their software estates are current. On top of that, IT professionals only have control of an average of 58% of endpoints. If you’re struggling with the Windows 10 migration, then it’s probably time to address your lack of endpoint control resulting from an ineffective IT governance strategy. Also keep in mind the impact this will have in the long term on your ability to keep up with the Windows updates cadence.

If you don’t have overall control and visibility, how can you ensure that your software estate is up to date?

This is the question that every CIO should be asking themselves. Granted, the workplace is a more complex ecosystem than ten years ago – and will continue to change rapidly – but that doesn’t mean you can’t take control of your IT estate.  Neither should it be a painful experience if you’re leveraging effective software asset management processes.
Equally, if you’re going to keep legacy software in place despite the security risk, you need to be prepared for the potential security risk this poses. Make the necessary preparations now, either by acquiring extended Windows support or getting the ball rolling on a migration strategy now.