Can Server be used to standardize the desktop background on user computers?
This is one of the preferences that Server can manage using the managed preferences (sometimes referred to as MCX on older servers and now called profiles on Lion and later for servers).

Here is a short Apple document covering the high points on how to use managed preferences and the workgroup manager. This would be a good, safe item to test with in getting started with WorkGroup Manager and a couple of lightly used Macs.


Managed Client: How to manage settings using the preference editor