Panasonic TOUGHBOOK Research Highlights Urgency of Windows 11 Migration

Critical infrastructure organisations face increased security, compatibility, performance, cost, and compliance risks if they delay upgrading to Windows 11.

Wiesbaden, DE. 23^rd July 2025 – Panasonic TOUGHBOOK has released research revealing the challenges and concerns for organisations navigating Windows 10 end-of-life and migrating to the Windows 11 operating system*. With support for Windows 10 ceasing on 14^th October 2025, Panasonic’s research shows organisations that have not yet completed their migration are concerned about security risks, costs, and software compatibility issues arising from out-of-support software.

Panasonic’s whitepaper, ‘Navigating the Shift: The Business Case for Upgrading to Windows 11’ also explores the extent of hardware refreshes needed to support Windows 11, and reveals concerns about the impact of device downtime during upgrade cycles.

Standing still presents significant security risks and cost implications

One of the biggest challenges surveyed organisations face is the security risk of inaction or delaying their Windows 11 migration. Ninety-eight percent of organisations surveyed say they are ‘likely’ to invest in Microsoft’s Extended Security Update (ESU) if they have not completed migration to Windows 11 by October.

More than half (58%) are not confident that they will be able to manage device security without either completing the migration or investing in ESU. They are concerned that if they don’t migrate or purchase ESU, they will be exposed to higher ransomware and malware risk (94%), data breaches (93%), a lack of patches for new security threats (91%), compliance risks (89%) and the impact on business reputation (88%).

Cost is another concerning factor for organisations delaying their Windows 11 migration beyond October 2025. Two-thirds predict that they’ll face higher costs overall, with 55% expecting these will come in the form of higher cybersecurity expenses. With Microsoft advising that an enterprise with 1,000 devices will face an ESU bill for approximately £320,000 over the three years that ESU is available, the cost of delay is tangible and immediate¹.

In addition, 48% predict increased support costs and 46% believe business continuity risks will have cost implications. Increased maintenance costs (40%) and hardware costs (38%) are also factors.

1 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates

Software upgrade means hardware replacement and reduced productivity

Surveyed organisations operate an average of 4,000 devices and estimate that 62% either have been, or will still need to be replaced or upgraded, to ensure compatibility with Windows 11. This rises to 76% of devices in organisations with more than 5,000 employees.

Almost half (45%) of respondents see challenges around the loss of productivity due to downtime when devices are being upgraded. Consequently 75% are adopting a phased approach. One-quarter (25%) are delaying software upgrades to coincide with device replacement. Application and business software compatibility issues are another migration challenge, cited by 47%.

Upgrades will be managed through a combination of remote upgrades (46%) and in-person upgrades (54%), with 64% expecting to draw heavily on device manufacturer support during the process.

Benefits of migration outweigh risks of delay

Respondents currently migrating to Windows 11 expect to unlock important benefits around security and protection (44%), performance and processing power (36%) and having a future-proofed device ecosystem (36%). They also seek to leverage AI features such as Microsoft Copilot or Bing AI (34%) as well as deploying Edge AI capabilities in the field (29%).

"The window is closing for organisations to make a well-planned, measured and cost-effective transition to Windows 11 and start unlocking its benefits. The cost, security, and performance risks of delay are steadily increasing as the end-of-life deadline approaches, which is especially concerning in the critical sectors we surveyed including emergency services, field services and utilities, and defence organisations. Organisations that are still to undertake Windows 11 migration need support to ensure their deployment is not rushed and risky. Panasonic TOUGHBOOK offers customers full transition support to ensure a seamless migration experience, maintain productivity and take the uncertainty from the process. By acting now, businesses can avoid incurring both cost and risk beyond October 2025."

To download the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK whitepaper, ‘Navigating the Shift: The Business Case for Upgrading to Windows 11’, please click here: https://eu.connect.panasonic.com/gb/en/whitepapers/navigating-shift-business-case-upgrading-windows-11

For more information on how Panasonic’s Mobile-IT As-a-Service offering can help your organisation migrate to Windows 11, click here: https://eu.connect.panasonic.com/gb/en/toughbook/Mobile-IT-As-A-Service

*Research Methodology

Panasonic commissioned research from 200 decision makers from the UK and Germany (100 each) in March 2025. Respondents are involved with purchasing decisions and working for organisations with 1,000+ employees, in field services and utilities; defence; emergency services; automotive; supply chain and logistics; and manufacturing sectors.

Panasonic TOUGHBOOK Research Highlights Urgency of Windows 11 Migration

Standing still presents significant security risks and cost implications

Software upgrade means hardware replacement and reduced productivity

Benefits of migration outweigh risks of delay

*Research Methodology

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