With Windows 10 nearing its end-of-life date on October 14, 2025, organizations face a critical need to upgrade to Windows 11. Feature additions and bug fixes for Windows 10 will no longer be available, and the cessation of free security updates will leave systems increasingly vulnerable. To tackle these challenges, Nutanix and IGEL offer an efficient, secure, and scalable end-to-end solution to streamline the transition process.
This upcoming Windows 10 EOS is triggering a key decision for IT leaders – buy a new rich endpoint client for each of your people who currently have a non-Windows 11 compliant devices, or invest in back-end infrastructure to deploy virtual desktops to future-proof your Windows deployments.
The Risks of Staying on Windows 10
Choosing not to upgrade to Windows 11 can result in significant problems:
- Heightened Security Risks: Systems without regular updates become prime targets for cyberattacks.
- Compliance Issues: Outdated systems may no longer align with regulatory requirements
- Increased Costs: Not all current hardware supports Windows 11, leading to potential massive hardware replacements.
Planning and executing a well-structured Windows 11 transition is essential for mitigating these risks.
The Challenges of Managing Traditional Windows Desktops
Physical desktops often create hurdles for both IT teams and end-users, such as:
- Labor-intensive, disruptive, time-consuming updates
- Limited flexibility in adapting to business needs
- Security vulnerabilities caused by decentralized setups
- Cumbersome management and limited enterprise-wide insight
- Costly and cumbersome management processes (e.g., OS and agent updates)
Virtualizing Windows 11 with virtualization/broker software running on the Nutanix Cloud Platform solution in your datacenter or cloud, and replacing Windows with IGEL OS on your endpoint devices addresses these challenges, offering a modern, streamlined, flexible, and resilient approach to desktop management and control.
Why Virtualizing Windows 11 with Nutanix and IGEL is a Smart Choice
The Nutanix platform makes adopting Windows 11 simpler and more cost-effective while addressing modern security and scalability needs. Using IGEL OS results in security, management, and end-user digital experience gains at the endpoint.
1. Improved Scalability
Nutanix enables organizations to scale from hundreds to thousands of virtual desktops efficiently. Its rapid deployment capabilities ensure businesses can meet both immediate and long-term demands. IGEL OS makes it easy to quickly scale the number of end-users, especially during rapid expansion periods or M&A transactions.
2. Advanced Security
Windows 11 introduces stringent security requirements, including:
- Virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM): Emulates hardware-based security.
- Credential Guard: Protects against credential theft with virtualization-based security.
- Secure Boot: Verifies trusted software during startup.
- UEFI Firmware: Enhances security while optimizing performance.
Nutanix seamlessly supports these features, helping businesses safeguard their systems from modern threats. IGEL OS complements Nutanix on the endpoint as a lean, minimal software footprint OS with near zero overhead, making it a non-target for cyber-attacks. The IGEL Preventative Security ModelTM offers robust security and protective malware/ransomware resistance, and includes:
- tamper-resistant, read-only OS
- no local data storage on the device
- trusted application platform integrity verification
- modular design minimizes the attack surface
- extensive integration with leading security, authentication, SSO, and SASE technologies
3. Streamlined IT Management
Centralized IT operations on the Nutanix platform simplify desktop management, with:
- Faster recovery and easier updates
- Integrated file services for efficient data management
- Single-click disaster recovery solutions
Likewise, centralized web-based IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS) and IGEL App Server service offer:
- Full management and control for up to 100K+ IGEL endpoints
- Easy, efficient software updates – say good-bye to the giant software release
- Keen insight with corrective measures for all endpoints across the enterprise
- Integration with other management/service systems via a REST API
4. Lower Costs
Switching to virtualized environments and avoiding endpoint hardware swap-outs can significantly cut costs. This potential for savings can be achieved through repurposed hardware, reduced IT overhead, and lower energy consumption as leaner, more efficient endpoints can typically run for years longer.
5. Efficient Operations to Promote Sustainability Goals
Nutanix can help organizations pursue their sustainability goals through opportunities to reduce energy consumption and e-waste, all while maintaining top-tier performance. IGEL does likewise through opportunities to extend the life of your existing endpoints, including those migrated from Windows 10 to Windows 11 (and keeping them out of landfill sites), and enable the use of energy-efficient endpoint devices like thin and zero clients.
Addressing Windows 11 Performance Requirements
Transitioning to Windows 11 can increase CPU and storage utilization. Nutanix’s platform is designed to handle these heightened demands, providing:
- Optimized performance for virtual desktops
- Compatibility testing for applications and custom tools
- A robust framework for hybrid and multicloud deployments
The lean, efficient design of IGEL OS and its small software footprint allows your endpoint devices to run with greater efficiency. It’s a great foundation for outstanding CAD/CAM application performance as well as unified communications apps for today’s widely distributed workforces.
What Sets Nutanix Apart?
The Nutanix hybrid multicloud platform offers a seamless environment for on-premises, cloud, and edge systems. Key features include:
- Flexible Licensing: Pay-per-use model ensures that organizations pay for actual usage, optimizing infrastructure costs.
- Consistent Performance: Localized data management maintains reliable user experiences across workloads.
- Future-Ready Design: Hybrid architecture helps to maintain security and delivers simplicity while also being cost-effective and highly scalable.
What Sets IGEL Apart?
As the secure endpoint OS for now and next[1] [2] , IGEL makes your transition to Windows 11 with Nutanix as easy and seamless as possible for both your IT team as well as your end-users:
- Secure: The IGEL Preventative Security Model turns your endpoints into non-targets and helps to protect your people and their devices
- Excellent performance with business continuity: Lean, efficient OS makes for great endpoint performance; inherent resilience gets your end-users quickly up and running after any form of work stoppage (e.g., natural disaster, human error, malware episode)
- Future-Ready Design: IGEL OS is designed as the ideal endpoint OS for the digital workspace – secure browser, SasS, DaaS, and VDI
- TCO and sustainability: IGEL provides opportunities forCapEx and OpEx savings, reduced energy costs, and reduced e-waste in landfills
Whether upgrading existing systems or deploying new ones, Nutanix and IGEL are designed to simplify operations, reduce downtime, and help to facilitate a smooth and economical transition to Windows 11.
A Smarter Way Forward
The shift to Windows 11 is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to be daunting. In fact, this shift can serve as an opportunity to help make your entire enterprise more secure and economical, and easier to manage, while giving your end-users a performance and experience upgrade! Nutanix and IGEL can make your migration much easier and seamless than you may expect, with a more efficient and improved end user computing environment as a result. Together, the two companies combined enable:
- Robust security to help protect your enterprise and meet compliance standards
- Potential for substantial cost savings through reduced hardware needs and endpoint re-deployment
- Opportunity to simplify IT processes via powerful, centralized management
- Promotion of customer sustainability objectives through opportunities for energy-efficient operations and more efficient use of existing hardware
Prepare for the future with Nutanix and IGEL.
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