What it is
Dynamic Environment Manager, formerly User Environment Manager, handles user settings for the operating system and for applications. Unlike classic profile management it does not capture the whole profile, only the settings an administrator has nominated.
Why that is the point
Less data means shorter logins and logouts. Settings are also applied when an application starts rather than all at sign-in, which makes the login asynchronous: nobody waits for things they are not using yet.
User data itself goes through folder redirection.
What it is for
Estates where the same person works across several devices: fat client, laptop, virtual desktop, RDSH. The settings sit centrally and the experience stays the same across them.
What to watch
Somebody has to decide what gets captured. That is the work in this product: not the install, but the list of settings worth following a user around.
