My question is about using powershell scripts to install, configure, update and maintain Windows 7 Pro/Ent workstations in a 2008R2 domain, versus using GPO/ADMX/msi.

Here's the situation:

Because of a comedy of cumulative corporate bumpfuggery we suddenly found ourselves having to design, configure and deploy a full Windows Server 2008R2 and Windows 7 Pro/Enterprise on very short notice and delivery schedule. Of course, I'm not a windows expert by any means, and we're so understaffed that our buzzword bingo includes 'automate' and 'one-button' and 'it needs to Just Work'. (FWIW, I started with DEC, then on to solaris and cisco, then linux of various flavors with a smattering of BSD nowadays. I use Windows for email and to fill out forms).

So we decided to bring in a contractor to do this for us. and they met the deadline. The system is up and mostly usable, and this is good. We would not have been able to do this. But it's the 'mostly' part that is proving to be the PIMA now, and I'm having to learn Microsoft stuff anyway until/if we can get a new contract with these guys for ongoing operations.

Here's my question. The contractor used powershell almost exclusively for deployment, configuration and updating. My intensive reading over the last week leads me to think that the generally accepted practices for deployment, configuration and updating microsoft stuff uses elements of GPOs and ADMX templates, along with maybe some third party stuff like PolicyPak.

Are there solid reasons that I've not found yet that powershell scripts would be preferred over the GPO methods?

I'm going to discuss this with the contractor lead when he gets back from his vacation, and he'll be straight with me (nor do I think they set us up). But I can also see this might be a religious issue, so I would still like some background on this.

Thoughts? or weblinks?

Thanks!