A device management system and a device management method are provided, each of which: receives status information indicating a status of a relay device from the relay device, the relay device being connected with one or more devices in a local network via a firewall; based on a determination that the received status information satisfies a predetermined condition, obtains instruction information associated with the predetermined condition, the instruction information indicating a predetermined process to be executed by the relay device; and transmits the obtained instruction information to the relay device to cause the relay device to execute the predetermined process.

An information processing apparatus includes first and second estimators and a determining unit. The first estimator estimates a quality of each individual part to be used for a product, based on error information concerning a manufactured product. The second estimator estimates a degree of an influence of each portion of a product on a quality of the product, based on the error information. The determining unit determines, for each portion of the product, which part will be used for a corresponding portion of the product, based on the estimated quality and the estimated degree of an influence.

A system and method for multifunction peripheral data collection includes a network data connection with one or more multifunction peripherals and at least one peer data collector. A memory stores address data identifying each of a set of multifunction peripherals tasked for data collection. A processor initiates data transfer sessions in accordance with stored address data with each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals to retrieve device report data. Device report data from each successful data transfer session is retrieved and each device with an unsuccessful data transfer session is identified. A collection report is generated from retrieved device report data and this report is sent to an associated networked server. A generated problem list is sent to at least one other one networked device for further data collection and processing.

A method by which an image forming apparatus provides a workflow service is provided. The method includes acquiring an execution request for a workflow of an image forming operation, determining whether conditions for executing the workflow are satisfied, according to the acquired execution request, and executing pre-stored functions corresponding to the workflow if it is determined that the conditions are satisfied.

An electronic apparatus is obtained that suppresses a decrease in convenience to a legitimate user while reducing the possibility of unauthorized login. In the electronic apparatus, a user-interface unit displays a user-authentication screen, and detects operation for confirming a character string that is inputted in an input field. The user-authentication unit, when this operation is detected, executes user authentication based on the character string that is inputted in the input field and a pre-registered password. The user-authentication unit considers user authentication as having failed at least one time even though the character string is a correct password. The user-interface unit, (a) when the character string is not a correct password and user authentication has failed, clears the character string that is inputted in the input field. Then the user-interface unit monitors whether or not user operation of an operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected. The user-interface unit, (b) when user authentication has failed even though the character string is a correct password, does not clear the character string that is inputted in the input field. Then, the user-interface unit monitors whether or not user operation of an operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected.

A management server includes a transfer unit and a transmission unit. The transfer unit conceals, in a case where personal information is included in usage history data of an apparatus, the personal information, and transfers the usage history data to a server. The transmission unit transmits, in a case where analysis data of the usage history data is transmitted to a terminal, restoration information for restoring the concealed personal information included in the analysis data to the terminal.

Methods and apparatus to communicate data associated with media processing devices are disclosed. An example media processing device residing on a network includes a monitor configured to collect observational data associated with the media processing device in accordance with a configuration file stored on the media processing device; and communicate the observational data to a first device external to the network via a first persistent connection between the media processing device and the first external device; and a controller configured to receive an operational instruction from a second external device via a second persistent connection between the media processing device and the second external device, wherein the second persistent connection is independent of the first persistent connection; and implement the operational instruction on the media processing device, wherein the operation instruction controls media processing hardware of the media processing device.

Redundant monitoring of the same printer by multiple monitoring devices when multiple monitoring devices monitor multiple printers is prevented in a network system 1 including a printer, multiple monitoring devices able to monitor printer states, and an information processing device. A monitoring device requests, at a specific interval, from one or more printers targeted for monitoring, a response of printer state information related to a state of the printer; receives printer state information in response to the request; and sends the received printer state information to the information processing device. The information processing device manages the state of the printer based on the received printer state information. When requested for a response of printer state information by a different monitoring device, the printer stops requesting a response of printer state information by monitoring devices other than a specific monitoring device.

The present invention provides systems and methods for the virtualization, aggregation, and distributed processing of facsimile communications. The Remote FAX Interconnect known as etherFAX is a system and method that allows for the reception and delivery of information based on cloud computing infrastructure to or from one or more facsimile systems using Internet/web based communication protocols such as HTTP(S) as the transport between a facsimile capable application or hardware and the remotely accessible etherFAX services.

An image forming device includes a checking unit and a registering unit. When processing execution data to be executed with a preset setting is selected, the checking unit checks whether a processing result is what a user has intended if the processing execution data has not been created in the image forming device and if the preset setting has not yet been checked. The registering unit registers the processing execution data as checked data if the checking unit has checked that the processing result is what the user has intended.