Skip to content

Issue 1 ·

Three IT decisions that can't wait

Welcome to the first iPower newsletter. Once a month we bring IT leaders in the Kingdom what matters most: partner updates, security alerts and lessons from our projects.

Cloud · Microsoft

The Azure Saudi region opens in November

Microsoft's Saudi Arabia East region, in the Eastern Province, becomes available to customers in November 2026, with three availability zones and in-Kingdom data residency.

Not every service will be there on day one, so now is the time to pick candidate systems and review the NCA controls that apply to them.

End-user computing

Windows 10: ESU Year 1 has ended

Since 13 October, devices not enrolled in Year 2 get no security updates, and the cost doubles every year.

per device · Year 2to 12 October 2027
$122
per device · Year 3, the lastto 10 October 2028
$244

Microsoft's published list prices in USD, before VAT. ESU is cumulative: skipping Year 1 means paying for it with Year 2.

Your options: upgrade compatible devices to Windows 11 for free, replace the rest (two more years of ESU costs close to a new device), and buy Year 2 only as a bridge with a clear replacement plan. iPower supplies ESU licenses.

Ask us for a SAR quote

Security alert

PHP2Shell: two critical PHP flaws under attack

CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619 let an unauthenticated attacker run code on servers running PHP, the language behind many websites and portals. PHP released emergency fixes on 21 October, and exploitation attempts have started.

What to do now

  1. Find every PHP installation, including bundled stacks such as XAMPP.
  2. Update to 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27 or 8.5.12, then restart PHP-FPM and the web server.
  3. If you cannot patch now, isolate internet-facing PHP apps behind a web application firewall (WAF). PHP 8.1 and older have no official fixed release, so plan the upgrade.

Security updates

Updates you shouldn't postpone

  • Microsoft (13 October): a record 1,400+ fixes, including an actively exploited Windows Shell flaw (CVE-2026-96951) and a critical Active Directory remote code execution flaw (CVE-2026-70229).
  • Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS (CVE-2026-0322) and Cisco Secure Email Gateway (CVE-2026-76519): exploited flaws added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list on 14 October. Update to the fixed releases.

From our projects

4,000 devices in about two months

We replaced the branch devices of a leading Saudi bank across the Kingdom: warehouse receipt, imaging, asset tagging, shipping and installation in every branch. The same model fits a Windows 10 replacement today.

Read the full story

Book a readiness assessment for your organization

We inventory your Windows 10 devices, check Windows 11 compatibility and hand you a report of what to upgrade and what to replace, with cost and timeline. We also supply ESU licenses for devices that need more time, and assess which systems are ready for the Azure Saudi region.

Request the assessment

Information is correct as of the issue date. Prices are Microsoft's published list prices before VAT.

All insights