Microsoft said Monday that it will no longer provide technical solutions to Windows XP and Office 2003 software beginning April 8, 2014, saying that the OS is vulnerable to sophisticated cyber attacks. This means that Microsoft's customers and partners will no longer receive security updates to the operating system or be able to leverage tech support from Microsoft after that time.

Microsoft is urging XP users to buy later versions of the Windows operating system.

"While end of support for Windows XP is still one year away, the migration process can take some time and may be costlier the longer you stayon Windows XP, ultimately putting your business at risk. The security landscape is ever-changing and new threats are coming to fruition every day, so it is critical that businesses ensure they protect their data and IP against the latest threats by deploying a modern Windows platform," Micorosft said in a blog post.

Usually, Microsoft guarantees a five-year after-sales (AS) policy to general customers. It supports an additional five-year service for corporate clients.

XP users have received 12 years of service.

XP users can't just t upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8. They need to do a clean install.

Microsoft also today announced a new promotion aimed at Windows XP customers. Businesses running Windows XP and Office 2003 can purchase licenses to Windows 8 Pro and Office 2013 Standard at a 15% discount, Microsoft said on a promotional website.

However, Microsoft's customers must be running XP Professional, the Windows 8 Pro and Office 2013 Standard licenses must be purchased as a package via Microsoft's Open License program, and the deal is capped at 100 licenses for each. Microsoft is offering each Windows 8 Pro license for$188 and each Office 2013 Standard license for $373, for a total of $561. The 15% discount would lower each Windows-Office combo by $84 to $477.

The discount is good through June 30.