Since your question is Windows-specific, there are some Windows tools to do what you want. These can be used to execute arbitrary EXEs. (Most of us would agree that perl is not arbitrary, though :-) Anyway, here are some examples of tools you can use. The links are by no means the only implementations of some of the tools:

• DCOM
• rsh or search for others
• ssh (putty)
• a home brew solution

There are other ways, but that should get you started.

HTH, --traveler