Yes, but how does Windows 8, with its radically redesigned Metro interface, fit into the business-upgrade cycle?

Visser writes that "migrating now to Windows 7 will set businesses up well to embrace Windows 8 in the future, as IDC found that all indications at this time are that the move from Windows 7 to Windows 8 will be seamless for applications and non-impactful to existing hardware."

Another possible scenario: Businesses bypass Windows 8 altogether and wait for Windows 9 a few years down the road, particularly if the benefits of moving from Win 7 to Win 8 aren't worth the expense and hassle of upgrading.

Windows XP is slowly being supplanted by Windows 7, but not as quickly as Microsoft would like. According to analytics firm , Windows XP had a 46 percent share of all desktop operating systems in April 2012, while Windows 7 had just under 39 percent.

Microsoft will in April 2014, a deadline that Redmond hopes will spur its enterprise customers to finally drop the aging OS.