IPS Signatures vs Application Control

IPS  matches on pre-canned or custom signature and typically push to match the client/server direction and OS types  ( windows unix etc...). It can also mitigate at all layers of the OSI from  layer3 and upwards.

APP_CONTROL matches on behavior based on the application usage & mitigates or control from  the application layer. It uses application logic and awareness for control 

The IPS wil make a bigger impact on thru-put  in a full blown deployment