Question : Can files be copied programatically from SharePoint to another file system?

I have a number of Excel docs on  a sharepoint site (WSS 3.0) on one server that need to be downloaded(exported,copied) to another file server. The goal is to keep the original docs in sharepoint and have the copies on another file server for use by another department within the corporation in a non-SharePoint environment. Is there a way that this can be done programatically with a script? A multiple step process would be acceptable as well if this can't be done with a single script. I am new to Sharepoint and any help would be appreciated.

Answer : Can files be copied programatically from SharePoint to another file system?

You can use any http compatible download utility, like WGET for example.
You need to supply your URL and authentication