Businesses that have already moved to Windows 7 may feel little incentive to move to Windows 8 already, but those still on Windows XP should seriously consider a switch to Windows 8. The end of life for Microsoft support of Windows XP is quickly approaching, and Microsoft is sweetening the deal by making the Windows 8 upgrade a mere $40.

Theres more than one way to get Windows 8, though. Rather than purchasing the operating system itself, a business can subscribe to --which includes a perpetual license for the most current version of Windows as well.

A Windows InTune subscription costs $11 per user per month. That equates to $132 per year--more than three times the cost of just buying the Windows 8 upgrade. Assuming a two to three year lifespan for the OS, Windows InTune is significantly more costly than just getting Windows 8. But, with Windows InTune you get more than just the Windows operating system.

With Windows 8 you get&well, you get Windows 8. With Windows InTune, you get a license for whatever the current version of Windows is, along with a variety of other IT administrative tools like Active Directory integration, mobile device management, and third-party software deployment.

Sure, you can deploy your own Microsoft server infrastructure, and maintain your own Windows network. But, all of that costs money as well, in addition to paying the IT admin or other IT personnel to manage and maintain it. With Windows InTune, you essentially get the IT infrastructure and for your $11 per user per month.