Drive endpoint security and sustainability in a new age of computing
End of support for Windows 10 devices should make IT leaders reconsider their operating system choice.
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Windows 10: Are we facing a mountain of unused devices?
On October 14th 2025, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10. With no more free software updates, security patches or technical assistance for Windows 10 PCs, many affected organisations will have no choice but to retire devices.
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Remaining Windows 10 PCs will only grow more vulnerable to malware and ransomware attacks. Zero-day exploits could threaten systems. In March 2025 alone, Microsoft revealed six Windows zero-day exploits that would have left sensitive data, credentials and system information open to attack if left unpatched.1
Meanwhile cyber-insurance policies, depending on the policy, may not cover businesses that knowingly maintain Windows 10 systems on their estates. Organisations who do so will fail compliance with key standards like the UK’s Cyber Essentials, the EU’s NIS2 and PCI DSS.
The problems may grow to include hardware and software incompatibilities. Some affected enterprises may be forced to pay for extended support, which could prove expensive.
There’s a sustainability challenge too. Currently, Windows 10 is installed on roughly 54% of all Windows PCs, including 44% of those in the UK.2 Globally, that means hundreds of millions of PCs still running Windows 10, with a significant portion lacking the hardware features needed to install Windows 11. Millions of PCs could be heading to landfill or recycling, despite having years of useful life ahead.
A better way with ChromeOS Flex
There is a better option. ChromeOS Flex is a version of Google’s cloud-based operating system that can easily be installed on Windows 10 devices at scale using a variety of enterprise management tooling or on each individual PC through an installer on a USB stick (with remote deployment on the roadmap).
It takes minutes to install, runs well on ageing hardware, and will be supported by Google for up to ten years on certified devices. Google’s list contains over 600 laptop and desktop PCs from nearly every major manufacturer. Where ChromeOS isn’t an option – or where businesses are looking to refresh their Windows fleets – new Chromebook Plus devices could provide a strong, more cost-effective alternative.
Anthony Wicks, ChromeOS and Google EUC Lead, regards the end of support for Windows 10 as an opportunity for CIOs and IT leaders to rethink. “It’s a good moment to reflect on whether users are using the right tool for the job,” he councils. “Is it secure enough? Is it manageable? Is it aligned with the broader business strategy? Is this the best experience for the user?”
ChromeOS features a familiar desktop user interface and an even more familiar browser, and while it works hand-in-hand with Google’s Workspace applications, it supports just about any SaaS application or cloud service.
Where Windows laptops no longer give the right answers, ChromeOS devices could change the game. In an era where more users are spending more time working remotely with cloud-based services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps, ChromeOS’s lightweight and flexible, cloud-native approach might be a better fit.
ChromeOS features a familiar desktop user interface and an even more familiar browser, and while it works hand in hand with Google’s Workspace applications, it supports just about any SaaS application or cloud service. Microsoft 365 applications were recently made available to ChromeOS users with a familiar, desktop-like user experience. As Wicks puts it, “We try to be agnostic. We’re just trying to provide a really good, solid and secure platform to access the web, and it’s designed to be the best-in-class.”
Ramp up security against AI threats
In 2025, Microsoft reported a 275% increase in ransomware attacks year-on-year targeting its customers.3 Meanwhile, research suggests that ransom bills for targeted businesses are rising, with a nearly a third of ransomware attacks started with an unpatched vulnerability.4
ChromeOS vs Ransomware
Security in the DNA
Controls to combat hacks
Keeping data safe
Security teams burdened by a lack of budget and competing priorities need help.5 Yet to date, there has been no successful ransomware attack report on a ChromeOS device.6
ChromeOS is inherently secure, thanks to hardware-based security that protects the hardware, firmware and operating system from malware and ransomware, ensuring a clean, verified boot. The OS is read-only, blocking executable files from making changes, while touch-free patches and updates roll out in the background, rarely requiring user intervention bar the odd (and rapid) restart.
Every app and website runs in a sandboxed environment, preventing it from accessing other apps or data on the device. What’s more, all data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Google partners with laptop manufacturers to provide seamless patching for ChromeOS Flex in the same way that native ChromeOS devices are updated for up to 10 years from the original manufacturer release date.
Meanwhile, the admin console features security controls IT teams can apply either to specific groups or devices or the entire fleet, with robust security policies and data access management tools. Lost or stolen devices can be blocked and wiped remotely. Enterprises can replace vulnerable devices with devices primed for a modern security approach.
A better option for CIOs and users
CIOs and IT teams are looking for devices that are easier to secure and manage, and that deliver a great user experience.
“We’re not trying to replicate one for one how you would manage a Windows device because the way we’ve engineered the product means that we’ve simplified all that.”
One of the benefits of Google’s cloud-focused operating system is centralised management through the Google Admin console, which serves as a central hub for deploying apps and extensions, applying policies and remotely managing devices.
-Anthony Wicks, ChromeOS and Google EUC lead
Setting up a Windows PC for a new user can take anywhere between 15 minutes and several hours, depending on how much software is preinstalled and how much of the process is automated using tools such as Microsoft Intune and Autopilot. With ChromeOS devices, zero touch or automatic enrolment can make the process even faster. Users can be up and running in minutes with their email and line of business apps. Wicks notes that “at a recent event, one of our customer’s IT leaders shared how they had demonstrated this to their board through a live five-minute demo, proving how reliable and repeatable this practice is.”
What’s more, integrations are available to use third-party tools like Microsoft InTune to support both Windows and ChromeOS devices through a single pane of glass. The console can also hook into existing architecture, including network certificates, proxies and VPNs. In terms of user experience, Chromebooks boot in seconds and feel immediately responsive, while ChromeOS’s lightweight hardware requirements give users a smoother, snappier experience, even on older devices with 8GB of RAM. Most of all, ChromeOS is optimised for enterprises that leverage the cloud.
“We’re not a one-size-fits all. Where we’re working with a customer with 10,000 seats, it might be that 3,000 or 4,000 are in scope because of the profile of the users. That’s where it comes to giving them a more performant, secure, cost-effective endpoint that enables and enhances their productivity.
-Matt Stevens, ChromeOS Regional Lead at Google
Even where some workers require new Windows 11 devices, there’s scope to move their previous Windows 10 devices to a new team with ChromeOS Flex onboard.
AI in ChromeOS
Foundry’s 2025 AI Priorities Study shows that
of enterprises have implemented some AI technology or are piloting AI initiatives
while 41% are actively researching it.
say that improving employee productivity is driving their investments.7
68%
Meanwhile
41%
53%
Switching to ChromeOS could be a key enabler. New Chromebook Plus devices feature built-in Gemini AI features, without requiring the expensive AI hardware of Windows Copilot+ PCs, which typically come with price points in excess of £1,000, plus – in many instances – elevated licensing requirements.
For businesses using Google Workspace for productivity and collaboration, the ability to unlock a whole new set of productivity tools is one click away. Even meetings can be summarised in real time. And while certain Gemini experiences require a Chromebook Plus, the majority are open to ChromeOS Flex users as well. Nor are ChromeOS devices tied into Google’s flavour of AI. ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude and Microsoft 365 Copilot will all function through the browser, just as they would on a Windows 11 device.
Make the switch
Switching to ChromeOS Flex or a Chromebook Plus doesn’t require starting with a clean slate.
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Thanks to integration with Microsoft 365 and the Microsoft identity stack, users running ChromeOS devices can still access Microsoft’s cloud productivity platform. There could even be scope for savings. Applications that can’t run through the cloud can be accessed through virtual app delivery solutions such as Citrix or Google’s Cameyo. Upgrading existing devices to ChromeOS Flex makes sense from sustainability, cost and productivity angles. It’s an opportunity to bring dated Windows 11 devices back to life with a modern, secure, cloud-ready OS.
Crucially, ChromeOS is easy and affordable for companies to pilot. CIOs can strategise around the devices, roles and applications in their business, then think about where ChromeOS fits in. The free ChromeOS Readiness tool can quickly evaluate devices for conversion, before IT Teams convert a selection of pilot devices, with no expense or commitment beyond a 30-day free trial. Google’s experts and partners are available to deliver advice and support.
To find out more about ChromeOS and its enterprise benefits, visit
https://chromeos.google/contact/inbound/
For ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) metrics, the best device is the one you’ve already got. If you can extend a three- or four-year refresh cycle to seven or eight, then you’re halving the carbon impact.
Where budgets allow for a refresh, Chromebook Plus devices make powerful AI-ready alternatives to Windows laptops at a lower cost.
Footnotes
1Forbes, New Windows Warning As 6 Zero-Day Attacks Confirmed, March 2025, https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/03/12/critical-windows-warning-as-6-zero-day-attacks-confirmed-update-now/ 2 Statcounter, Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide, https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#monthly-202309-202409 3 Microsoft, Microsoft Digital Defense Report: 600 million cyberattacks per day around the globe, November 11, 2024, https://news.microsoft.com/en-cee/2024/11/29/microsoft-digital-defense-report-600-million-cyberattacks-per-day-around-the-globe/ 4 Sophos, State of Ransomware 2024, https://www.sophos.com/en-us/content/state-of-ransomware 5 Foundry Security Priorities Study 2024, https://foundryco.com/research/security-priorities/#:~:text=In%20the%20upcoming%20year%2C%20respondents,awareness%20through%20end%2Duser%20training 6 Reuters Plus (sponsored), The end of ransomware? https://plus.reuters.com/google-the-end-of-ransomware-how-chromeos-zero-trust-approach-protects-businesses/p/1 7 Foundry AI Priorities Study 2025, https://foundryco.com/tools-for-marketers/research-ai-priorities/#:~:text=47%25%20of%20organizations%20cite%20IT,learning%20engineers%2C%20and%20AI%20developers
