New research from Dell Technologies and Intel reveals that 71% of UK IT Decision Makers (ITDMs) view the move to Microsoft Windows 11 as an opportunity to upgrade their PC fleets with AI-capable systems.
The ‘Windows 11 and AI PC Readiness Report’ – a study conducted via Focaldata in June 2025 - also found that UK businesses see upgrading to AI PCs when they transition to Windows 11 to transform operations, with 64% saying being able to run AI applications effectively is ‘critical’ or ‘extremely critical’ for their organisation.
The top AI PC advantages reported were ‘advanced security features’ (47%) and ‘greater employee productivity’ (44%), highlighting a dual focus on cybersecurity and using AI to empower their teams.
Ian Heath, UK Channel and Distribution Lead for Dell Technologies said: “For our channel partners, the conversation with customers is no longer about refresh cycles; it's about building a competitive advantage.
“Adding the context of the Windows 11 transition means the AI PC is a gateway to higher-value services like strategic deployment, security hardening and workflow integration, presenting an opportunity for the channel to move from being a supplier to becoming an indispensable advisor.”
While 79% of organisations have started to transition to Windows 11 (44% in the process of transitioning and 35% have fully transitioned), the survey found that 20% of businesses have not yet begun the process ahead of the October 2025 deadline.
Respondents report that benefitting from enhanced security features (60%) is their main motivator for transitioning but said that software compatibility for existing applications is a key concern (45%). Hardware (34%) compatibility is also top-of-mind, as are potential disruptions to operations (32%).
“In addition to losing technical support, inaction means businesses may rely on less secure devices that can’t keep up with the latest applications,” said Louise Quennell, UK Senior Director, Client Solutions Group for Dell Technologies.
“By working with partners like Dell and Intel, they can plan a seamless transition to minimise disruption and set them up to thrive in the AI era.”
Findings suggest that small businesses face unique hurdles, with (1 – 50 employees) are less likely to have started or completed their transition to Windows 11 (62% versus 79% of all businesses). They are more likely to be considering the move (22% versus 17% of all businesses) and a higher percentage aren’t considering it at all (14% versus 3% of all businesses).
While small businesses share similar barriers with medium and big businesses, they are much more likely to say they feel it’s unnecessary (29% compared to 15% at 51 – 250 employee and 12% at 251+ employee businesses).
Looking to AI PCs, 38% of small businesses said that they see Windows 11 as an opportunity to refresh to an AI PC fleet compared to 72% of medium businesses and 79% of big businesses, and report being less likely to be planning to refresh their PC fleet at this time (25% versus 6% of all businesses) and more likely to want to evaluate the benefits of AI PCs further for their transition.
