In this article, the problems that have motivated the development of wind control centres are presented, highlighting the Spanish case. This article describes typical telecontrol architecture from the local wind farm level to inter-control centre connectivity, with special emphasis on differences compared with other control centres and the functionalities that can be implemented in this architecture. A study on the use of virtual machines in wind control centres is also included for the purpose of shedding light on this modern trend, despite the strong inertia in the use of conventional servers. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.