Network Manager at system level

[Rashkae]

Is there a way to configure Network Manager so it connects to a chosen 
network at the system level rather than at the User level?  (ie, I want 
the computer to connect to the network even though there are no one 
logged into the local console.)

Of course, I can, (and have) purged network manager, and can configure 
networking in /etc/interfaces myself, but seeing as ubuntu has decided 
to strip the ability to configure networking with the 
gnome-network-admin package (I thought was the whole point of that 
package existing in the first place) someone must think there's a way 
that Network Manager is a suitable replacement.....