Cybersecurity and IT

AI for Business: The Cheapest Time to Start Is Now | Josh Lamb

Josh Lamb of Sterling Grace Technologies breaks down the Windows 11 upgrade, AI-ready hardware, and why your IT decisions today have consequences that show up months from now.

K4B thumbnail featuring Josh Lamb, SGI shirt, Windows 10 and Windows 11 screens, AI and Copilot icons, dollar bags, bold white text reading CHEAP AI NOW on dark blue background.

Hosts: Bernie Franzgrote + Wayne Pratt

Josh Lamb of Sterling Grace Technologies explains Windows 11, TPM encryption, and AI-ready PCs for small business owners. Knack 4 Business S4 E053.

GROWTH CATEGORY: Cybersecurity & IT

Most small business owners know they should upgrade their systems. They keep putting it off. And every week they wait, the exposure grows.

Josh Lamb has spent over a decade watching this pattern play out. He is the founder and president of Sterling Grace Technologies — a managed IT support and software development firm based in Brockville, Ontario. In this episode of Knack 4 Business, he explains exactly what the Windows 10 end of life means, what AI-ready hardware actually does, and how to make the shift without breaking your business.

Watch the full conversation here:

WHO THIS IS FOR

SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems

If you have ever clicked X on a Windows upgrade notification, this episode is for you.

Key Lessons

1. Windows 10 End of Life Is Not a Suggestion

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. That means no more security patches. If your business is still running it, your system has known vulnerabilities with no fix coming. Josh outlines three options: upgrade to Windows 11, pay for Extended Security Updates, or carry the risk. For most SMBs, the upgrade is the right move. The longer you wait, the more exposed you are. Josh has seen businesses with Windows 7 and even XP still running critical software — and he is honest about how dangerous that is, even when he has to manage it for a client.

2. Encryption Is Already Protecting You — If You Have the Right Hardware

Windows 11 requires a TPM chip — a Trusted Platform Module. It stores encryption keys that scramble your hard drive data. If someone steals your device and pulls the drive, the data is unreadable without the key. Most older machines do not have this chip, which is why the hardware question matters as much as the software. Josh also covers BitLocker, Microsoft's encryption layer that works with the TPM to keep your data safe at rest. It works in the background. You do not have to think about it. But you do have to have the right machine for it to work.

3. AI Still Needs a Human in the Room

AI-ready PCs include a neural processing unit — a dedicated chip for local AI processing. Microsoft's Copilot roadmap is real and it is moving fast. Features like Recall, smart image editing, and context-aware assistance are on the way. But Josh is direct: AI still makes mistakes. When companies cut experienced people to save money and replace them with AI, they lose the institutional knowledge that was never written down. He points to Amazon Web Services outages caused by exactly this problem. His message is not anti-AI. It is pro-wisdom. Use the tools. Keep the people who can check the work.

Practical Steps

Check your hardware now. Run a Windows 11 compatibility check on every business device. If it does not have a TPM 2.0 chip, plan the replacement.
Separate your devices. If you are still using a personal machine for business, set up a separate user account with restricted admin rights at minimum. Windows Pro enables BitLocker — consider the upgrade.
Find a trusted IT partner. You do not need a full managed service provider on day one. Start with a conversation. Josh and the team at Sterling Grace Technologies offer consults with no obligation to become a full client.

About the Guest

Josh Lamb helps Ontario businesses build tech infrastructure that gets out of their way. He solves the problem of unreliable, unsecured, and mismanaged IT systems that slow businesses down and expose them to risk. He started his career at Ripnet, sharpening skills in CRM systems, web development, and software integration before taking Sterling Grace Technologies full-time in 2013. He cares about building accessible partnerships — not set-it-and-forget-it vendor relationships.

Connect with Josh: Sterling Grace Technologies | LinkedIn | info@sterlinggracetech.ca | 613-499-2202

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FAQ

Q: Do I have to upgrade to Windows 11 right now? Microsoft ended Windows 10 support in October 2025. You can pay for Extended Security Updates as a short-term bridge, but it is a paid program and it does not last forever. The upgrade is the right long-term answer for most businesses.

Q: What does AI-ready actually mean on a new laptop? It usually means the laptop includes a neural processing unit — a dedicated chip for local AI processing. It is designed to run Microsoft Copilot features on your machine rather than sending your data to a remote server. Most of those features are still rolling out, but the hardware investment is worth making now.

Q: Is it safe to keep using old software that only runs on Windows 7? It is a risk, not a solution. Josh and his team sometimes help businesses isolate those machines behind firewalls and proxies so they cannot be reached from the internet — but it is a managed risk, not a safe one. The right answer is a development plan to modernize that software before the next forced transition.