Reflecting this, many in the Apple-focused MDM space are now looking to extend their services to also cater to legacy platforms like Windows — enabling IT admins working to deploy Macs to add all their legacy kit to the same device management systems. That means it has never been easier to deploy Apple devices in an existing Windows-based infrastructure.
What about security?
Will PC users listen? It’s hard to say, but what is clear is that hundreds of millions must now make a tough and consequential choice: Do they risk continuing to use an operating system that isn’t supported any longer, accepting all the security risks that go with that decision? Do they pay the non-trivial cost of upgrading to Windows 11, which likely also involves major spending on new hardware? Or do they look at alternative platforms, including Mac, Linux or even Chrome?
Doing nothing is also an option, but it’s a decision that exposes both consumer and business users to increased risk in the long-term. You just know that hackers will already be working to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in Windows 10, the difference being that Microsoft will no longer act to mitigate against them. Which means doing nothing will become a bigger and bigger risk as time passes, even as hackers scan the ‘net looking for machines running the old OS to attack.