The central element of any iControl system is the iControl Application Server. The Application Server is a compact, 1 RU server that interfaces to video, audio and other hardware through a variety of configurable ports (RS‑232, RS‑422, Ethernet), and connects to a local LAN over TCP/IP.

iControl runs in a distributed network environment. Devices to be monitored or controlled are either directly connected to the iControl Application Server, or accessible over a TCP/IP connection. Each iControl Application Server runs several device control services, as well as a lookup service.

Multiple Application Servers can coexist on a network, allowing large-scale distributed systems to be defined and controlled. Using a Web browser, multiple users can connect to any Application Server from any convenient desktop or portable computer.

On your client PC, you may launch any of the iControl components from a single user interface called the iControl Launch Pad. The iControl Launch Pad may be downloaded to your client PC from your Application Server.