Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. After this date, no further technical assistance, feature updates, or free security updates will be provided. Ideally, organizations should migrate to Windows 11 to reduce the risk of exposure to critical vulnerabilities.
According to Statcounter GlobalStats, as of August 25, 2025, Windows 11 accounted for 49.02% of desktops, while 45.65% were still running Windows 10. Windows 7 held a 3.54% share, with the remaining share spread across Windows 8, Windows XP, and Windows 8.1. These numbers indicate that a substantial portion of desktops still rely on Windows 10.
This transition for ADISRA SmartView is straightforward—our software is fully compatible across all versions of ADISRA SmartView and between Windows operating systems. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for every element of industrial automation. Critical infrastructure, such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), machinery, and other legacy systems, often relies on outdated technologies. With Microsoft support ending, Windows 10 will soon become another addition to this growing list of legacy components in industrial control environments.
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) underscores this challenge, noting that many industrial control system environments were originally designed with priorities such as operability and reliability rather than cybersecurity. As a result, a significant number of legacy devices continue to run on outdated operating systems and older protocols that lack basic safeguards like encryption or authentication, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to modern cyber threats.
The Challenges of Maintaining Legacy Systems
In many industrial environments, legacy systems remain central to day-to-day operations. These devices often cannot be upgraded, yet they are deeply embedded in the manufacturing process. In some ways, they provide comfort through familiarity, but they also create serious challenges when adaptation is required. Replacing them can jeopardize stability, introduce high costs, and demand extensive retraining.
For example, one of our customers implemented ADISRA SmartView across several stations on the plant floor but chose to design the applications to look exactly like their old proprietary system. While this approach meant they did not take advantage of modern features in our software, it minimized the cost of retraining operators across multiple shifts, a trade-off they felt was necessary.
Some of the key challenges and risks of relying on outdated technology include:
– High Operational Costs – As systems age, replacement parts and specialized expertise become scarce. This scarcity drives up maintenance costs and support fees, diverting resources that could otherwise be used to fund modernization. One ADISRA customer, for instance, was forced to migrate to ADISRA SmartView after realizing he could no longer source spare parts for his legacy device, even on eBay. Faced with the risk of a single breakdown halting production, he opted to modernize his operations.
– Limited Scalability and Adaptability – In today’s environment of rapid data growth and shifting demands, older infrastructures simply cannot keep pace. Their inability to scale often results in performance bottlenecks or downtime, limiting a company’s ability to respond quickly to market opportunities.
– Security Vulnerabilities – As noted earlier, security is one of the most pressing concerns. Legacy systems often lack the robust safeguards found in newer technologies, leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Once vendors stop providing updates, patching vulnerabilities becomes nearly impossible, further increasing risk.
– Talent Shortages – As technology evolves, fewer professionals are trained to maintain outdated systems. This creates a shrinking talent pool and rising labor costs. One of our customers had to pay a premium to secure an expert capable of managing their aging infrastructure. Over time, this scarcity contributes to knowledge gaps that hinder operations and complicate future migrations.
Despite these challenges, there are situations where upgrading legacy systems simply is not feasible. So, what options do companies have when modernization is not possible?
What Can You Do When You Can’t Upgrade?
When replacing legacy systems is not practical, organizations need strategies to extend their usefulness while still protecting operations and preparing for the future. While every situation is unique, several approaches can help mitigate the risks:
1. Strengthen Security Measures
Even if a legacy system cannot be upgraded, you can still reduce risk by hardening the surrounding environment. This includes isolating critical assets on segmented networks, restricting access, and continuously monitoring traffic with intrusion detection tools. Layering security controls around older systems helps shield them from modern threats, especially those amplified by artificial intelligence.
As noted in a recent CSO magazine article, cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging generative AI to enhance their tactics, techniques, and procedures, delivering faster, more sophisticated, and harder-to-detect attacks. Dr. Peter Garraghan, CEO/CTO of AI security testing firm Mindgard and professor at UK’s Lancaster University, explains: “AI doesn’t necessarily result in new types of cybercrimes. Instead, it enables existing crimes to accelerate and scale, while also introducing new threat vectors.”
2. Document and Preserve Knowledge
With the ongoing shortage of skilled professionals who can support legacy platforms, it is essential to capture and preserve operational expertise before it is lost. While documentation, training materials, and knowledge transfer to newer staff are important steps, they only go so far; paper manuals and static files can quickly become outdated or inaccessible in critical moments.
This is where ADISRA SmartView provides a unique advantage. Unlike traditional documentation methods, ADISRA SmartView’s built-in rule-based expert system allows organizations to embed operational and maintenance knowledge directly into the software. By serving as middleware between legacy equipment and modern infrastructure, ADISRA SmartView not only bridges the technology gap but also transforms human expertise into executable rules that can automate responses, guide operators, and ensure consistent decision-making across shifts.
In this way, ADISRA SmartView not only preserves knowledge but also turns it into a living, operational asset that scales across the organization, reduces reliance on scarce experts, and extends the life of legacy systems while laying the foundation for modernization.
3. Plan for Incremental Modernization
Rather than attempting a complete overhaul, companies can migrate in phases, replacing one system, line, or process at a time. This reduces disruption while ensuring new investments gradually strengthen the overall infrastructure.
4. Develop a Long-Term Roadmap
Even if immediate upgrades are not feasible, creating a clear roadmap for modernization is critical. By defining where legacy systems fit into your long-term strategy, you can better allocate budgets, plan phased migrations, and gradually reduce dependence on outdated technology.
A key step in this process is building a comprehensive asset inventory. This requires a deliberate, hands-on approach to identify, document, and categorize all equipment, including legacy systems that may still be fit for purpose but are disconnected from the network, running unsupported operating systems, or operating in isolated environments. Having this visibility allows organizations to prioritize risks, extend safe use where possible, and make informed decisions about when and how to modernize their systems.
5. Use ADISRA SmartView as a Bridge
One of the most effective strategies for addressing legacy systems is to deploy ADISRA SmartView as middleware between outdated equipment and modern infrastructure. ADISRA SmartView seamlessly connects to legacy PLCs and machinery through standard industrial protocols while also integrating with modern technologies, enterprise databases, and cloud platforms. This creates a unified “single pane of glass” where operators can manage both legacy and next-generation assets, ensuring continuity without slowing down modernization efforts.
Practical ways companies have used ADISRA SmartView as a bridge include:
– Replicating the interface of older proprietary HMIs to minimize retraining costs across shifts.
– Adding a modern visualization layer on top of legacy controllers to extend their usability.
– Collecting and contextualizing data from outdated devices, making it available for analytics, databases, MES, or ERP systems.
– Embedding expertise into the ADISRA SmartView’s Rule-Based Expert System, capturing the knowledge of plant operators, maintenance staff, and even legacy hardware documentation to preserve and operationalize critical know-how.
By combining connectivity, visualization, and intelligence, ADISRA SmartView does not just bridge old and new; it transforms legacy infrastructure into an active, integrated part of a company’s digital future.
Experience it for yourself: Download a trial of ADISRA SmartView.
Conclusion
As Microsoft ends support for Windows 10, the industrial automation community faces a pivotal moment. For many, upgrading to Windows 11 will be straightforward, but for those managing legacy systems, the risks and complexities are far greater. From rising costs and limited scalability to growing cybersecurity threats, standing still is no longer an option.
The good news is that you do not have to modernize everything at once. With ADISRA SmartView, you can protect your legacy investments while creating a pathway to the future. Whether by embedding critical knowledge into our Rule-Based Expert System, bridging old and new technologies through middleware integration, or enabling phased modernization, ADISRA SmartView helps organizations move forward with confidence.
Experience it for yourself: Download a trial of ADISRA SmartView and see how easy it is to bridge legacy infrastructure with modern solutions.
Ready to tackle your legacy system challenges? Click here to request a personalized demonstration with our team.
Tips, Tricks, and Hidden Treasures in ADISRA SmartView
October 30th, 2025, at 9:30 am CDT/9:30 AM COT/2:30 pm GMT/9:30 pm WIB
Discover the hidden features inside ADISRA SmartView that can save you time, simplify your workflow, and make application development easier than ever. In this webinar, our expert will guide you through lesser-known tools, shortcuts, and best practices that are often overlooked but can significantly impact productivity and project success. Whether you are new to ADISRA SmartView or an experienced developer, you will come away with practical tips and tricks to build smarter, faster, and more efficient applications.
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