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PC Market Trends, Windows 11 Adoption Challenges and the ITAD Opportunity

As of early 2025, the global PC installed base is estimated at 1.6 billion units, with the U.S. accounting for around 240 million. Despite Microsoft’s push, Windows 10 remains dominant (62.7% market share), while Windows 11 adoption lags due to strict hardware requirements and high upgrade costs. Many businesses face the choice of replacing hardware, […] Continue reading below.
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As of early 2025, the global PC installed base is estimated at 1.6 billion units, with the U.S. accounting for around 240 million. Despite Microsoft’s push, Windows 10 remains dominant (62.7% market share), while Windows 11 adoption lags due to strict hardware requirements and high upgrade costs. Many businesses face the choice of replacing hardware, paying for extended Windows 10 security updates, or risking unsupported systems. Meanwhile, the secondary PC market, valued at over $30 billion, continues to grow as enterprises offload older but functional devices. With Windows 10 support ending in late 2025, pressure to upgrade is increasing, but many organizations remain hesitant due to cost and limited benefits.

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Author: David Daoud | Principal Analyst

David Daoud has researched the mainstream IT hardware market since 1996 and expanded into hardware disposition research in 2003. He has spearheaded the creation of IDC’s GRADE certification. Since then, David has been providing consulting and expert advice to companies looking to establish best practice in their IT equipment decommissioning and helped leading ITAD service providers assess demand, understand competition, and forecast what’s to come. David is currently the Principal Analyst at Compliance Standards, which focuses entirely on the end-of-life of IT equipment. He can be reached at 754-229-0095 or at ddaoud@compliance-standards.com

MORE ANALYSES:

SIMS and Iron Mountain Are Repricing the ITAD and Positioning it as a Primary Growth Engine

Feb 19, 2026

In this episode, David Daoud of Compliance Standards LLC examines how Sims Limited and Iron Mountain are repositioning IT asset disposition from an operational afterthought to a primary growth engine inside publicly traded platforms. Both companies recently reported approximately 70% year-over-year growth in their ITAD divisions. More importantly, they elevated Asset Lifecycle Management and Sims Lifecycle Services in their earnings narratives, capital allocation priorities, and forward guidance.

Management: From Legacy Drag to Competitive Lift: How ITADs Could Help Clients Cut Technical Debt

Feb 6, 2026

Technical debt has moved from a back‑office IT issue to a board‑level business problem, as legacy systems now drive customer churn, block AI programs, and consume a growing share of tech budgets. This report shows ITAD providers how to turn that pressure into revenue by positioning decommissioning as a modernization enabler rather than an end‑of‑life afterthought, mapping sector‑specific refresh waves in banking, telecom, retail, logistics, and more into concrete decommissioning pipelines. It also includes an executive snapshot quantifying the client upside (run‑rate savings, outage reduction, AI acceleration, ESG gains) and a detailed go‑to‑market guide that helps ITADs frame technical debt in business terms, win a seat at the refresh table, and productize offers like technical‑debt assessments, modernization‑linked playbooks, and AI‑readiness exit plans.

Takeways: Mitsubishi Materials investment in Elemental’s US e-scrap platform

Jan 8, 2026

Recent announcements indicate that Mitsubishi Materials has agreed to acquire a significant minority stake in Elemental Group’s US e-waste platform, which operates through Colt Recycling. The transaction reflects a broader trend in which large metals and materials groups are seeking closer integration with upstream electronics recycling and pre-processing operations as part of their circular-economy strategies. A more detailed assessment of the strategic implications, execution risks, and what this transaction signals for the evolving relationship between IT asset disposition and metals recovery is available to subscribers.

Part 1: 2025 in Retrospect: Redefined ‘Serious’ ITAD

Jan 7, 2026

2025 marked a transition point for IT Asset Disposition and electronics recycling. Multiple forces that had been building over several years converged within a single operating cycle, changing not only volumes and asset flows, but the fundamental expectations placed on ITAD providers.

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