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Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016 will reach End of Life on July 31, 2026, and End of Support on October 13, 2026. Afterthese dates, systems stop receiving security updates or hotfixes. Extended Security Updates (ESU)  bridge the vital gap between product end of support and full platform migration, giving organizations additional time to secure deployed systems while planning their next move.

ESUs are not guaranteed for every Microsoft product and have been available only in limited quantities, often restricted. For example, ESUs began with Windows XP Pro and was only available to OEMs shipping more than 50,000 devices. With Windows 7, Microsoft expanded access to IoT OEMs with no minimum volume, but required the purchase of 100 support hours, which limited adoption due to cost.

With Windows 10, Microsoft broadened ESU availability to include both commercial customers and consumers, including Home and Pro editions. For the OEM IoT channel, many Windows 10 products already include long lifecycle support. However, for older releases, such as Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2015 and 2016, the expectation was that OEMs would migrate to newer LTSC releases, such as 2019 or 2021, to maintain support. In practice, migration is not always straightforward. Many OEMs require additional time to transition deployed systems. Here, ESU provides a structured path to extend security coverage during that transition period.

While Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB 2015 will not receive ESU support, the 2016-based products are officially eligible for up to three years of additional coverage.

Why the 2016 Release Remains Critical

Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016 launched on August 2, 2016, one year after the initial Windows 10 release. Although it is unusual for Microsoft to release an LTSB/LTSC version so quickly, the 2016 release, based on build 1607, delivered meaningful improvements:

• More stable kernel and driver stack
• Improved security baselines
• Enhanced Device Guard and Credential Guard capabilities

For fixed-function and long lifecycle devices, this release was a significant upgrade over the 2015 version. As a result, many OEMs moved quickly to the 2016 release, and it became a leading SKU in the embedded IoT channel. This installed base is a key reason Microsoft is offering ESU for this version.

Key Deadlines for the 2016 Lifecycle

It is vital to distinguish between the End of Life (licensing) and End of Support (security updates). These dates represent the point of no return for your supply chain and security audits.

Windows Champ Tip: After July 31, 2026, you can no longer buy a 2016 license. To continue shipping 2016 images legally, you must purchase a Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 High End COA and exercise your downgrade rights.

Products Confirmed for ESU

The following 2016-era products are confirmed for the ESU program:

• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016: Support ends October 13, 2026.
• Windows Server Embedded 2016: Support ends January 12, 2027.
• SQL Server Embedded 2016: Support ends July 14, 2026.

While official part numbers are still pending, ESU pricing is expected to follow the traditional tiered escalation. In this model, Year 1 serves as the base price, Year 2 typically doubles in cost, and Year 3 doubles again. Microsoft uses this tiered structure to encourage timely OEM migration to modern LTSC versions.

Summary

The 2016 product line is approaching a hard transition point. ESU provides a defined, time-bound option to maintain security while completing migration efforts. It is not a long-term strategy, but it is a critical tool for managing risk in the interim.

Questions? Reach out to our experts at Arrow Electronics. We will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours.

The new SQL Server IoT 2025 is now available! If you build devices, appliances, or embedded systems that ship with a database inside, SQL Server IoT 2025 is worth a serious look. It brings the SQL Server 2025 engine into long-life, fixed-function products. You get the full engine, the same AI features, the same JSON and vector capabilities, and the same security improvements. The only difference is that it is packaged and licensed for OEM and embedded scenarios.

In my experience supporting embedded customers, the pattern is consistent. More data at the edge, tight security requirements, long product lifecycles, and pressure to support AI without adding cloud dependencies. SQL Server IoT 2025 helps you handle those problems without changing how you design your systems. You can use the same T-SQL, drivers, tools, containers, and development workflow.

AI where your device runs

The biggest change in SQL Server IoT 2025 is the built-in AI stack. The database now supports a native vector type, semantic search, hybrid search, and local or remote model execution. You can generate embeddings inside the engine, and you can run AI agents through a secure REST endpoint that SQL Server manages.

Nothing in this requires a cloud connection unless you choose to use one. You can keep models local by using Ollama or ONNX Runtime. You can also call cloud models through Azure OpenAI or OpenAI.

For embedded systems, this means you can build features that previously required a cloud round-trip. Examples include local anomaly detection, troubleshooting assistance, natural language search of manuals or logs, and smarter automation. If you already store your device data in SQL Server, the new vector features let you use that data immediately.

Security that matches modern requirements

The platform is secure out of the box. SQL Server IoT 2025 carries forward the security updates from SQL Server 2025. That includes TLS 1.3, TDS 8.0, PBKDF hashing, managed identities, and stricter defaults. This helps you ship hardware that is ready for audit and compliance checks. For teams in healthcare, manufacturing, or other controlled industries, this reduces significant design risk.

Performance improvements that help small systems

Most devices in the field run on constrained compute, so predictable behavior underload becomes more important than raw horsepower. SQL Server IoT 2025 benefits from improvements like optimized locking, Lock After Qualification, tempdb governance, faster failover, and reduced contention during heavy workloads.

Your device can run more predictable workloads with fewer stalls. It starts faster, handles concurrency better, and gives you cleaner behavior when something on the system misbehaves.

Better ways to move data out of the device

You also get Change Event Streaming, which pushes changes directly to Azure Event Hubs. The engine streams committed transactions without extra system tables. This helps when your design needs low-latency reporting or coordination with services outside the device.

If you use Microsoft Fabric, SQL Server IoT 2025 supports database mirroring directly into OneLake. That gives you a simple path to analytics or long-term storage without writing ETL code.

Developer workflow stays simple

Stability in the toolchain is just as important as stability in the engine. SQL Server IoT 2025 uses the same drivers, SSMS, VS Code extension, containers, and deployment workflow. You also get the new JSON type, JSON indexing, RegEx functions, Base64 utilities, and improved T-SQL functions that SQL Server 2025 introduces.

When an upgrade is worth it

If you are trying to decide whether this upgrade is worth it, these are the points that usually guide the decision:

• If your device is running SQL Server 2014 or 2016, you are past or near the end of mainstream support and the extended support runway is shrinking fast. SQL Server IoT 2025 offers a long-life option with a modern engine, stronger security, and a cleaner feature set for long-term maintenance. You also get improvements like accelerated recovery, better indexing behavior, and up-to-date drivers.
• If your product roadmap includes AI features or if customers are asking for analytics without sending data off the device, SQL Server IoT 2025 gives you a built-in way to handle that.
• If your company is standardizing on Fabric or Azure Arc, IoT 2025 fits neatly into that architecture.
• • If your design team is trying to reduce custom code around queues, logs, or sync processes, IoT 2025 reduces that work.

SQL Server IoT 2025 Options

FAQs

Is SQL Server IoT 2025 different from SQL Server 2025?
The engine is the same. SQL Server IoT 2025 is licensed for embedded and OEM scenarios and includes the support lifecycle those products need. All features come from SQL Server 2025, including AI, vector search, JSON, CES, and Fabric mirroring.

Are there pricing or licensing changes?
No. SQL Server IoT 2025 keeps the same pricing and licensing structure.

Does SQL Server IoT 2025 support both Windows and Linux?
Yes. You can run the IoT edition on either platform, with full feature parity. The Linux engine carries the same improvements as SQL Server 2025, including TLS 1.3, custom password policies, and tmpfs for container workloads.

Can I use SQL Server IoT 2025 offline?
Yes. The product does not require a cloud connection. You can run local models, local inference, local vector search, and local analytics entirely inside the device.

What are the OS and upgrade requirements?
Windows Server 2019 or newer, current Linux distributions, and upgrades from SQL Server 2014 and above. Database compatibility levels range from 100 to 170.

Does SQL Server IoT 2025 support Fabric mirroring?
Yes. You can mirror operational databases to Fabric without writing ETL. Data flows into OneLake and stays updated in near real time. This keeps the device workload light while letting you centralize analytics.

Can SQL Server IoT 2025 run in containers?
Yes. It works in the same container images as SQL Server 2025. You also get the Linux improvements such as TLS 1.3 support and tmpfs for tempdb-heavy workloads.

Does Arrow have more information on SQL Server IoT 2025?
Yes. Please learn more about SQL Server IoT 2025 here.

I generally start my day with a steady flow of Microsoft IoT licensing questions. The basic ones roll in asking things like "Do I qualify for IoT?" and "How is Windows 11 IoT licensed?" Eventually, a Windows Server licensing question hits my desk, and that's when I dread the discussion about Client Access Licenses.

The easy part of server licensing is licensing the Windows Server operating system itself. You license all the processor cores with a minimum of 16 cores. However, the challenging part comes when I have to ask OEM customers: "How many clients do you need?"

The customer inevitably responds with something like: "Clients? I'm not sure. Can you explain what requires a Client Access License?"

Microsoft's New “CAL-Less” Solution

For years, I've explained what a Windows Server Client Access License (CAL) is and how it's licensed. However, Microsoft now offers something that eliminates the need for these complex explanations. They now provide a Windows Server IoT "CAL-Less" license.

This new CAL-Less server license option removes the licensing terms for Client Access Licenses, meaning the server doesn't require Windows Server CALs. All those questions about users versus devices and what needs a CAL have fallen by the wayside. Not only does this make my life easier, but it also dramatically simplifies the OEM customers' experience, keeping them completely compliant with unlimited users and devices.

The Benefits Are Clear

The CAL-Less option simplifies the lives of OEM customers by reducing the number of part numbers to just the Windows Server IoT OS licenses. No more questions like:

• How many users or devices will connect to your server?
• Does the end-user already own Windows Server CALs?
• How many CALs should I bundle with our solution?
• What requires a CAL?
• What's the definition of a User versus a Device?

What's the Trade-off?

For Microsoft to offer this excellent licensing option with no CALs required, they increased the price of the base Windows Server IoT license. You'll pay roughly the same price as a server bundled with 8 CALs, but you get unlimited users. For many OEM customers, this is a dream come true. They're happy to pay the additional fee to gain the advantages of guaranteed compliance and simplified solutions.

How Does the Server Know It's CAL-Less?

Traditional Windows Server CALs are licensed by purchasing User or Device CALs and delivered via a COA card (a piece of paper with a COA license attached). There's no product key to enter or software activation required. It operates on what we call a 100% honor system. The OEM passes the COA card with CAL licenses to the end customer, who must maintain the COA card license in case of an audit.

The CAL-less server includes product licensing terms that remove the CAL requirement entirely. CAL licenses do not require a COA card. The Windows IoT Server COA license will state "CAL-Less" on the COA license, indicating that no CALs are required. See an example here:

How to Order CAL-Less Server Licenses

To order the CAL-less license for Windows IoT Server 2019, 2022, or 2025, use the CAL-less license options below for your total number of physical cores. For additional cores, use the regular 4-Core add-on to reach your total processor core count.

Windows Server IoT Standard 2025 CAL-Less Options

Windows Server IoT Standard 2022 CAL-Less Option

Windows Server IoT Standard 2019 CAL-Less Options

Important Note About Remote Desktop CALs

This CAL-less server option does NOT include RDS Client Access Licenses. If your solution requires Remote Desktop Services CALs, you must still purchase them separately, as the CAL-less option doesn't cover RDS CALs.

In Summary

Simplify your solution by reducing the number of required part numbers, and keep your solution 100% compliant by allowing unlimited users and devices. For many OEMs, this is a fantastic offering that's only available in the OEM IoT channel. Use it to your advantage with your solution today!

If you need assistance or have questions about Microsoft Windows IoT, please get in touch with our team at: windowsIoT@arrow.com. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.