UK finance faces legacy IT risks as Windows 10 support ends
Research from Cloudhouse indicates that UK financial institutions are continuing to struggle with legacy IT infrastructure as Microsoft Windows 10 reaches its End of Life.
The newly published Cloudhouse State of Technical Debt Report 2025 is based on a survey of 135 IT leaders in finance and identifies core issues surrounding outdated Microsoft Windows systems. The study reveals that 90% of organisations admit to carrying Microsoft Windows technical debt, while 60% report having a large number of servers or desktops running unsupported versions of Windows.
Technical debt and maintenance
The survey finds that nearly nine in ten finance organisations have applications or services that depend on out-of-date Windows software. Over half of respondents (59%) state that maintaining legacy Windows systems has resulted in increased time spent on troubleshooting and routine support tasks.
A noteworthy 95% of surveyed institutions express a desire to redirect more of their budget and attention from day-to-day maintenance to innovation and strategic projects.
"Financial services firms shoulder acute operational risk from legacy Windows estates," said Mat Clothier, CEO at Cloudhouse. "This is a business-critical risk that drains budgets and prevents security and digital transformation work. With major Microsoft support milestones approaching in 2025, firms need actionable, low-risk migration pathways now."
Despite these challenges, the majority of financial sector IT decision makers (90%) have articulated plans or frameworks to modernise their legacy systems within a two-year period, the research found.
Impact of end-of-life deadlines
The Windows 10 End of Life milestone brings the issue of unsupported infrastructure to the forefront. Financial organisations, which often manage sensitive and highly regulated data, face significant pressures to keep up with security and compliance obligations. Legacy Windows infrastructure can present additional operational and cybersecurity risks in this context.
As support for Windows 10 ceases and other major Microsoft deadlines approach, many UK finance firms are assessing how best to transition critical services without disrupting daily operations or exposing themselves to increased risk. The research highlights a clear appetite within the sector for greater investment in new technology and digital transformation, but technical debt remains a persistent obstacle.
Support initiatives announced
In response to these findings, Cloudhouse announced specific support initiatives for financial services organisations navigating the End of Life transition. These include guidance for IT teams mapping applications and services to suitable migration pathways, a hotline service for institutions confronting particularly urgent Microsoft-related risks, and tailored migration solutions aimed at minimising disruption and maintaining continuity.
According to Cloudhouse, the targeted programme is intended to help financial institutions move from planning stages to practical delivery, reducing both the risk and time investment typically associated with modernisation efforts. The approach focuses on enabling a shift from legacy dependence while preserving the functionality of critical applications.
The State of Technical Debt Report 2025 reveals an industry-wide recognition of the need to address outdated systems and the negative impact of "keeping the lights on" at the expense of forward-looking projects. Yet, ongoing reliance on Microsoft Windows platforms, particularly unsupported versions, continues to limit the extent to which budgets and resources can be allocated to innovation.
With almost all respondents indicating active plans to address technical debt before 2027, the next two years may see intensified efforts to upgrade infrastructure, invest in security, and capitalise on new technological opportunities.
