- Desktop shippings for companies have increased by 22%, accounting for 17% of the sale of Enterprise PC, reports claims
- Consumers by the whole are less eager to upgrade, with only 9% increase
- The market could slow down or even contract again next year
With the official Windows 10 ending of life set to only a few months away, companies are increasing their purchase of new devices in anticipation of increasing support not only to Windows 11 but also for future OSS.
The latest figures from industrial analyst in context (via Registered) Illustrates an increase of 22% over the year in desktop shipments to corporate customers during April and May 2025, largely powered by update cycles and the threatening end of support for Windows 10.
Interestingly, it has found that companies have bought many more desktops than portable devices that bind into the industry’s trends across the technology sector with widespread return-to-office mandates.
PC shippings rise when the Windows 10 ending of life is approaching
“Their share of the total PC revenue in the early Q2 reached almost 17%, explained the highest level of the context’s two-year reporting period,” explained context senior analyst Marie Christine Pygott.
“This reflects both a long-term update cycle in commercial environments and the typical increase in demand before the large OS-Support deadlines.”
Trends reflect largely similar changes seen by Canalys, another company that is tasked with monitoring unit shipments, including measurements.
During the first four months of 2025, the total PC shipments rose an average of 9% with desktops increased 8% compared to 10% for notebooks. However, these measurements account for all PC shipments – not just corporate customers.
Principal analyst Ishan Dutt explained that Microsoft’s decision to pull the Windows 10 plug is not the only influential factor in increased sales-running trade war-induced customs and widespread financial uncertainty has seen both customers and suppliers aim to acquire new technology before prices rise.
“This preventative strategy allowed producers and the channel to fill up in front of potential cost increases, which increased sales shipments despite otherwise stable end users’ demand,” Dutt added.
Windows 10 had remained very popular for months, with many customers satisfied with their existing hardware and others limited from upgrading due to software and license restrictions. Windows 11 (43%) Adoption has still not overtaken the number of Windows 10 installations (53%), but the gorge is closed significantly over a year (via statcounter).
However, when looking ahead, IDC predicts contraction in the global PC market due to the stabilization of widespread Windows 11 migration.
“Expectations for worsening macroeconomic conditions around the world and in the United States, characterized by upward pressure on prices and degrading consumer sights,” added IDC Worldwide PC Trackers Research VP Jean Philippe Bouchard.
