Business System Consultation Center - Our Business System ColumnVol.164 2025.06.01 Takahashi Minoru

Maintenance contracts are for binding the system company, not your company

Thank you for your interest and continued support.
This is Takahashi from the Marketing Plan Research Laboratory.


Support for Windows 10 will end in October. It’s just around the corner.


Large companies are already in the process of switching to Windows 11, and
so you’ve probably heard stories about the challenges they’ve faced.


On the other hand, many business owners have likely received the suggestion from
from office equipment dealers or IT system companies.


Our stance is as follows:
・There’s no need to go out of your way to upgrade to Windows 11 unless it’s necessary.
・ESU is not necessary


"Support" simply means "the provision of security updates."
You could also say it means “Windows Update will continue.”
The argument put forward by large corporations, office equipment dealers, and system integrators is
"Security is at risk once support ends... (which leads into sales pitches for upgrades or ESU)."


An important point regarding "support" is
that even if you receive the latest security updates, there are still many viruses that cannot be prevented
.
Many of the ransomware attacks and data breaches reported daily in the news
occur even when all security measures are up to date.


As a quick tip,
ESU (Extended Security Updates)
a service that allows you to continue receiving
to continue receiving security updates and Windows Updates.


ESU is by no means cheap.
Generally, it costs anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of yen per computer per year.
Furthermore, since small and medium-sized businesses typically have fewer computers,
it’s unlikely they’ll qualify for volume discounts.


Yet, even if you have an ESU subscription or upgrade to Windows 11,
your system will still get infected if it’s going to.
Looking back at actual cases of damage, such as data breaches or business disruptions,
the reality is that ESU and Windows 11 do not provide a fundamental solution.
Furthermore, the sellers of ESU or Windows 11 will not assume liability for any resulting damage.


The following types of companies should opt for ESU:
・Large corporations
・Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that do business with large corporations or are subject to audits


If you do not fall into any of the above categories, neither Windows 11 nor ESU is mandatory.
*Of course, there are various circumstances, such as wanting to try the latest OS or being unable to purchase a new computer unless it runs the latest version,
there are various personal circumstances,
this post is not meant to say, “Please do not buy Windows 11.”


The reason neither Windows 11 nor ESU is mandatory is
is that no matter what you choose, there is always a risk of virus damage,
and, if damage or other issues actually occur,
no one will take responsibility for it anyway.


Ultimately, whether you have ESU or not,
you still need to use your computer with caution on a daily basis!
remains the same.
・Don’t open suspicious emails
・Do not visit suspicious websites
・Back up your data regularly to external storage
These basic, daily, and diligent precautions are what matter most.


When approached by a salesperson about an ESU contract,
ask yourself, “Do we really need this?”
“Can we afford the annual cost, or can we pass it on to our customers?”
We recommend that you calmly assess these points.


That's all, Thank you for reading.

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＜＜＜ Next Column Vol.165 - Cloud is also an effective way to lock your system company into your service 2025.07.01

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