Welcome to IB-X
IB-X is a unified automation platform that enables organizations to design, deploy, and manage intelligent automation solutions ranging from business process automation and AI-powered workflows to conversational experiences and desktop automation.
The platform combines workflow orchestration, artificial intelligence, enterprise integrations, human interactions, and desktop automation into a single ecosystem that can scale from simple task automation to complex enterprise-wide solutions.
Whether you are automating business processes, building AI-assisted workflows, creating chat or voice experiences, or automating desktop applications, IB-X provides the tools and infrastructure required to design, execute, monitor, and govern your automation solutions.
The Core Concept: Agents
At the center of the IB-X platform is the concept of an Agent.
An Agent is a deployable automation unit that performs work on behalf of users, systems, or business processes. Depending on its design, an Agent can execute business workflows, interact with AI models, communicate with users, integrate with enterprise systems, and automate a wide variety of business scenarios.
IB-X supports two execution models:
Agents
Agents execute on the IB-X platform and are designed using Agent Designer. They are intended for server-side automation and can implement a wide range of automation scenarios, including:
- Business process automation
- AI-powered workflows
- Conversational experiences
- Enterprise system integrations
- Document processing
- Scheduled and event-driven automation
The capabilities of an Agent are determined by the workflow and activities used during its design. For example, the same Agent platform can be used to automate business processes, build AI-powered solutions, or deliver conversational chat and voice experiences.
Local Agents
Local Agents execute on user workstations through Smart Station and are designed using Local Agent Designer.
They are intended for scenarios where automation must interact directly with desktop applications, local files, or resources that are only available within a user's environment.
Typical use cases include:
- Desktop application automation
- Legacy application automation
- Local file processing
- User interface automation
How IB-X Works
Regardless of the type of solution you build, the overall lifecycle remains the same.
At a high level:
- Design the Agent or Local Agent.
- Configure the required workflows, integrations, AI capabilities, or desktop automation.
- Publish the solution.
- Execute the automation in the appropriate runtime environment.
- Monitor and manage executions through the platform.
Depending on your solution, execution may occur entirely on the IB-X platform, entirely on a local workstation, or as a combination of both.
Major Platform Components
As you explore the platform, you will encounter several key components:
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| AI Command Center | Central management and administration portal for the IB-X platform |
| Agent Designer | Designs server-side Agents |
| Local Agent Designer | Designs Local Agents |
| Form Designer | Design web forms for user interactions within automation workflows |
| Smart Station | Windows service that hosts and manages Local Agent execution on customer machines |
| Smart Buddy | User-specific runtime that executes Local Agents within a Windows desktop session |
| Integration Gateway | Managed integration and AI service infrastructure |
| Account Manager | User, tenant, licensing, and account administration |
You do not need to understand every component before getting started. This guide introduces them gradually and explains how they fit together.
What You'll Learn
This Quick Start Guide introduces the core concepts of the IB-X platform before you explore the detailed documentation.
In the following sections, you will learn:
- The two execution models supported by IB-X
- How server-side and local automation differ
- The core concepts and terminology used throughout the platform
- How to identify the right approach for your automation scenario
- Where to find detailed documentation for building and managing your solutions
IB-X Architecture
Understanding the IB-X architecture will help you understand how the platform components work together, how agents are executed, and how solutions are deployed across server and local environments.
The Architecture Guide provides a detailed overview of the platform architecture, deployment models, runtime components, infrastructure services, and execution environments.
👉 Continue with the IB-X Architecture Guide before proceeding further in this Quick Start Guide.
If you are new to IB-X, we recommend reviewing the Architecture Guide to understand the overall platform architecture before exploring the platform components and building your first automation solution.
Next Step
Continue to Core Concepts to understand the terminology and concepts used throughout the IB-X platform before you begin building your automation solution.