Microsoft has already announced since mid-2021 that support for Windows 10 will be discontinued in autumn 2025. From this date, no more security updates or support services will be provided for the operating system. Companies that want or need to continue using Windows 10 after this date will have the option of continuing to receive security updates via Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU), but for a fee and for a maximum of three years, as was the case with previous versions of Windows.
Microsoft has now announced the costs for the ESU via the Windows IT Pro Blog. There are three different ways to obtain the updates. With the so-called "5-by-5 activation", the price for an ESU licence is 61 dollars per computer and year. This price doubles in the second and third year. Even if you only join in the second year, you still have to pay for the first year, as these are cumulative updates, as explained by Microsoft.
Another option is to use Windows 365 to access the Extended Security Updates. For all Windows 10 computers that are used for Windows 11 Cloud PC, the ESU licences are included in the Windows 365 subscription fees, so there are no additional costs.
Finally, Microsoft is also offering a new option for companies that use a cloud-based client management solution from Microsoft, such as Intune or Windows Autopatch. These companies will receive a 25 per cent discount on their ESU licence if they activate it via the cloud. This costs around 45 dollars per user per year and can be used for a maximum of five devices.
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