Will your business survive the switch to Windows 11 in October?

If you are a business owner or run a company, then you understand that technology is an essential operating cost. Only by ensuring employees have access to the necessary hardware, software, and IT infrastructure can they effectively execute daily deliverables. Technology also enables good customer service experiences, ensures production schedules are met, and effective operational management – almost everything in the modern business world has an IT component to it.

Surprisingly, often when businesses think about essential technology needed to run successful operations, they think of hardware. Laptops, servers, desktops, and printers are readily included into the annual budget. However, the importance and impact of software costs – especially upgrades – are often underestimated or overlooked.

Without the right or most up-to-date software, hardware simply can’t operate. While this may seem obvious, businesses are constantly caught by surprise when software purchases or updates are needed. There are several reasons for this, mainly because it’s quite difficult to predict how much budget should be allocated towards software maintenance.

Rising software costs are also contributing to this budgeting challenge. According to Statista, IT spending on enterprise software amounted to around $913bn in 2024.

A bleak picture for millions of businesses

Where some software technology is purchased following an extensive approval process and approved budgeting plan, there are instances where companies have no say in the matter. One such example is Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system.

On 14 October 2025, nearly 240 million Windows 10 PCs will be rendered useless when Microsoft stops support for Windows 10. This grim outlook for the public is even worse for the business world, as 400 million enterprise workstations running Windows 10 PCs can’t make the upgrade. Understandably, this restriction creates many short and long-term problems for millions of businesses.

At the core of this problem lies legacy hardware. Business computers require specific hardware requirements to upgrade. Supported processors are 8th-generation and newer Intel Core processors as well as AMD Ryzen 2000-series processors and newer. Essentially, this means that computers that contain processing chips produced before 2017–2018 can’t officially run Windows 11.

Imagine running a business, facing a pressing and unmoveable deadline, and being caught by surprise when the entire company’s laptops stop being supported by Microsoft and receiving bug fixes, security updates, and technical support. Unfortunately, this will be the reality for many South African firms in less than 10 months.

A window of opportunity for businesses

The Windows 11 debacle highlights two things: Having access to the latest software is a business imperative, and purchasing technology such as laptops can be a very costly decision when compared to a rental asset finance solution.

There are several reasons why purchasing IT hardware is expensive:

• Purchases and upgrades place strain on a business’s cash flow.
  
• Equipment depreciates over time and becomes obsolete.
  
• Asset requirements constantly change over time.
  
• Managing asset inventory can be time consuming.
  
• Asset disposal can be costly.

Founded over 25 years ago to address this business problem, RentWorks has grown to one of the largest asset rental finance companies in South Africa. Today it provides IT rental asset finance solutions to hundreds of companies across the country, who benefit from RentWorks’ flexible finance solutions to access the latest technology without the expense.

For RentWorks customers who have opted for a rental agreement, upgrading to Windows 11 doesn’t pose the threat to their businesses as it does to others. By simply upgrading their current laptops or desktops for newer models, RentWorks customers avoid the extensive capital investment and operational downtime that many other companies will experience who have purchased IT equipment.

Speak to a RentWorks specialist today about an IT finance solution that solves the future problems you might not even be aware of today. Simply visit the RentWorks website for more information or give us a call on +27 11 549 9000.