If you have extensive Microsoft experience and take advantage of something like BizSpark* (although one suspects with their connections they wouldn't have needed that) it's hard to see how it wouldn't be plenty pragmatic and inexpensive.
* Currently three years of free licenses, all software you download during that time is free forever, and discounted MSDN subs thereafter.
* Currently three years of free licenses, all software you download during that time is free forever, and discounted MSDN subs thereafter.