Configuring Outlook 2003 as a BOT

Have you ever thought that Outlook 2003 can be configured to give functionality of a BOT (a short name for roBOT). Right from Unlocking user accounts in Active Directory to restarting specific Services on Active Directory, or for that purpose any machine, you can cleverly use Outlook. In the Rules wizard just create different rules with criteria something like,

Check if the SENDER is <abc@xyz.com>
Then
If SUBJECT is
Then EXECUTE APPLICATION
Else Ignore
Else Ignore

In the above given scenario I can configure an IMAP/POP3/Exchange account in Outlook on a PC. As soon as Outlook finds all the above criteria satisfied it executes the specified application. With regards to application I am referring to Windows based scripts freely available on the net.

You can now be worried about Spamming. But the security in these Rules ensure that just anyone cannot get the job done by just sending the mail. In the Rules Wizard you can specify the E-mail addresses from which this account will perform admin activities on received E-mails.

So with this setup Outlook can help in doing many repetetive Admin activities, but in an unattended manner... like a BOT. The only requirement is you need to continuously run Outlook in a Remote or Console session of the said PC.

Example:
1. Subject: UNLOCK testuser, Application: unlock.vbs, Activity: Unlocks the testuser account when a specified E-mail ID sends E-mail with the above mentioned Subject.
2. Subject: RESTART DHCP, Application: dhcp-restart.cmd containing (NET STOP "DHCP Server" & NET START "DHCP Server"), Activity: Restarting the DHCP service without any users intervention.

Outlook 2003 as a BOT is my creativity or you might say my invention. I have frankly not found anyone using Outlook for such a useful purpose. I am right now researching on having a Datacentre with Artificial Intelligence & which is self healing. I would love inputs from different people thinking in this direction.