Configuration Management and OS deployment are key themes for advancing through the process and technology maturity levels in the Core Infrastructure Optimization (IO) model. This session singles out achievable desktop-focused goals in the Core IO Desktop and Server Management capability. Implementing Core IO recommendations for application testing, imaging, automated deployment, and configuration management of the Windows operating system have lead many companies to dramatic cost savings. We will walk you through the levels of Core IO from Basic through to Dynamic, giving tips, showing technology, providing real world customer cases and presenting cost saving evidence along the way. In the process we will map the System Center family of products - as well as other Microsoft toolkits - to the lifecycle of OS Deployment.