SOEs can include the base operating system, a custom configuration, standard applications used within an organisation, software updates and service packs.
The major advantage of an SOE in a business environment is the reduction in the cost and time taken to deploy, configure, maintain, support and manage computers.
A number have implemented an unmanaged operating environment where users manage and maintain their own devices, subject to policies enforcing minimum standards.
SOEs on Mac OS X, Linux, and other Unix/Unix-like systems can typically be made simply by creating and deploying disk images.
In Red Hat Enterprise Linux this is typically done by using kickstart scripts, there are specific products to create and manage an SOE like Red Hat Network Satellite Server which avoid the disk space usage and maintenance difficulties of managing disk images.