I would recommend always that templates are deployed to a profile-based
lcoation on the C:-drive of individual PCs.

Various reasons.

1. There have been occasional bugs in Word/Windows in the past which have
meant that if network paths change for the template folders (e.g. if you
introduce a new server with a new machine name) it takes a heck of a long
time (i.e. mintes) for existing documents to open, because of a problem
finding the associated template at the new location. Microsoft has fixed the
bugs, but why leave yourself open to the problem again in future?

2. If the network goes down, an awful lot of the operations of the
organisation will grind to a halt. Why add word-processing to the list if
you can avoid it?

3. If each user had his/her own individual copy of the templates, then it is
a relatively easy process to roll out updates using login scripts, SBS or
some similar technique. You won't be stuck because some idiot has locked the
network templates by leaving his PC on overnight with an open document.

Hi Tim

My preference is for a standard location on user machines.

Reasons:

Network location won't work in any situation where users do not have network
access - that's any home or mobile staff, and provides a nice added crisis
when the network is down or slow. Also likely to bite when you change
servers.

User profile location is OK, but the installation process for new users and
the pushing of updates is much simpler if you are able to use a standard
location.

YMMV