Turn Windows 10 End of Support Risk into Value with Riverbed Aternity
- By Scott Neal
- 15-Oct-2025
Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise end of support is no longer a distant milestone—it’s a current reality. With nearly half of deployed enterprise devices still on Windows 10, unless businesses pay $61 per device annually for Extended Security Updates (ESU), those devices will quickly become a liability. A liability? How? Security risks. At a minimum, Windows 11 mitigates advanced firmware attacks as its core security features are enabled by hardware enablers such as the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip and Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), the replacement for the Basic Input/Basic Output (BIOS) hardware initialization technology that’s been in existence for close to 50 years. Along with a supported CPU, these hardware enablers allow Windows 11 Enterprise to support Virtualization-Based Security (VBS), which Windows 10 cannot. VBS, along with the hardware enablers, protects against hackers targeting kernel injection of malicious code or to access sensitive data in memory.
Enterprises now face a pivotal decision: evolve quickly to Windows 11, or risk falling behind, vulnerable to severe malicious attacks, while under the weight of outdated systems and spiraling support costs. If custom support is not purchased, the business’s vulnerability increases daily. Alternatively, purchasing per-device custom support rapidly accelerates operational costs to avoid this risk.
While some organizations are already charting a confident course toward modernization, others remain anchored to the familiarity of Windows 10—often paralyzed by the scale and complexity of the transition. Questions abound: Will our applications still work? How can I efficiently identify which devices can handle the upgrade? How can we migrate thousands of devices without bringing operations to a halt, and how can we do this methodically without causing end-user experience, and therefore business productivity, to descend into chaos?
These are valid concerns—but hesitation comes at a price. ESUs are expensive. Security vulnerabilities multiply. Compliance risks loom. The choice isn’t simply when to migrate—it’s how to do it intelligently and efficiently.
The Migration Challenge: A Complex Enterprise Gauntlet
Migrating from Windows 10 to 11 is not a patch or a product refresh—it’s a full-scale operational transformation. IT teams must inventory every device, validate hardware readiness, and rigorously test application compatibility. Each phase consumes time, budget, and focus that could otherwise fuel innovation.
And then comes the rollout. Device refreshes, re-imaging, seamless user transitions—each a potential disruption to business continuity. Without clear visibility into performance and user experience, even well-planned migrations can stumble. The result? Downtime, user frustration, and mounting costs.
Remaining on Windows 10 post–end of support is a non-starter. Unsupported systems create an open door for security breaches, compliance failures, and escalating operational costs. This isn’t just a technology challenge. It’s a business risk!
Riverbed Aternity: Your Strategic Compass
Enter Riverbed Aternity, your trusted guide through this transformation. Aternity turns migration complexity into clarity by giving IT teams a unified, data-driven view of the digital employee experience—before, during, and after the move to Windows 11.
Aternity doesn’t wait for problems to surface; it predicts them. It monitors device health, application performance, and user experience in real time, flagging compatibility issues and performance degradation before they impact productivity. It’s proactive IT intelligence at its finest.
With Aternity’s insights, you can confidently answer the tough questions:
- Which devices are truly ready?
- Which applications need attention?
- Which users should migrate first?
This precision, including Riverbed IQ-Assist GenAI insights, turns migration from guesswork into a strategic rollout—streamlined, prioritized, and with user experience measured every step of the way.
The Business Value: From Risk to ROI
With Aternity, migration becomes more than survival; it becomes a springboard for improvement.
- Mitigate Risk: Identify and resolve issues before they impact users or operations.
- Accelerate Rollout: Leverage data to sequence migrations efficiently and minimize downtime.
- Enhance Experience: Ensure applications perform flawlessly on Windows 11, boosting employee satisfaction and productivity.
- Optimize Costs: Avoid unnecessary hardware refreshes and reduce help desk burden through proactive insight.
- Fortify Security: Achieve full compliance and a stronger security posture by operating on a supported platform.
Most importantly, your IT team transforms from reactive and manual device migration management into strategic enablers—driving modernization with confidence, efficiency, and measurable success.
The Time for Action Is Now
Windows 10’s end of support isn’t a distant deadline—it’s now! With Riverbed Aternity, you can turn vulnerability into tangible value by managing risk and unlocking performance gains, cost savings, and efficiency across your organization.
See how Riverbed Aternity can transform your Windows 11 migration into a seamless, secure, and value-driven journey. Watch this brief video demonstration to learn how, and click the link below to request your full demo today!