True a 501 would be better, but you can do this easily enough with someting as easy as batch files. I have a sales guy who is terrible at updating his schedule so I installed a batch file on his PC that opens the VPN tunnel, maps a shared drive, runs ACT!, allows for ACT! to sync up. Then at the end of the day another batch file un maps the drive, and disconnects the VPN. He has to turn off ACT on his own, but all in all it works great. Even he cannot mess it up. Plus it saved having to get a dedicated hardware alternative for simple stuff like this. You are better off in the long run with a 501 for more reasons than this problem, but you can get away without one if this is the only problem you have.
Look on Cisco's CCO site for the DOS commands for the VPN client. They are faily robust and easy to use. You can use this with Task Scheduler to make it happen at specific times, or many times within a set period, or whatever. You can use it as a call from another batch file and then call up the app that is driving this need too. However you like it, it can be done. Just find the right commnads, and use your creativity a bit to get past those tricky moments since batch files are not a perfect fit for everything.
Eddie Venus
"You wanna buy a monkey?" - Cabin Boy