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.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a device monitoring method, an apparatus, a server, and a storage medium. The method includes receiving an authorization code, where the authorization code includes first information; the first information is configured to indicate a first value; and the first value is a maximum quantity of image forming devices capable of being monitored by a device monitoring system which is activated by the authorization code; determining the first value according to the authorization code; and configuring a first parameter value according to the first value, where the first parameter value is configured to record the maximum quantity of image forming devices capable of being monitored. The present disclosure reduces the data processing amount of the server where the device monitoring system is located, improves the monitoring effect of the device monitoring system on the image forming device and improves the user experience.

An image forming apparatus may include a memory storing computer-executable instructions and a processor. The processor is to execute the computer-executable instructions to execute a service program management module of an application framework layer, according to a request of a user-defined service program having application service rights of an application layer, register a service provided by the user-defined service program in the service program management module, request an operation of a system service requiring system service rights of an operating system layer, and manage the registered service.

An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure acquires feature information on communication performed by the information processing apparatus, estimates a usage environment of the information processing apparatus based on a trained model, which is generated through machine learning performed based on feature information on communication performed by a plurality of devices different from the information processing apparatus and setting information on usage environments set for the plurality of devices, and on the acquired feature information on the communication related to the information processing apparatus, and notifies the estimated usage environment of the information processing apparatus.

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding portion, a detecting portion, and a controller. The controller sets a state of the detecting portion at a first monitoring state in which a detection result of the detecting portion is acquired to detect presence or absence of the recording material by supplying the electric power to the detecting portion in a first cyclic period. In case that the detection result of the detecting portion changes in the first monitoring state, the controller switches the state of the detecting portion to a second monitoring state in which a detection result of the detecting portion is acquired by supplying the electric power to the detecting portion in a second cyclic period shorter than the first cyclic period.

An information distribution system includes an electronic device; and a server system including at least one information distribution apparatus that communicates with the electronic device via a network. The electronic device includes an information requester configured to transmit, to the server system, a request to distribute information, the request being transmitted together with identification information of the electronic device; and an information displayer configured to display, on a display device, the information transmitted from the server system. The server system includes a contract information acquirer configured to acquire contract information relating to a contract for a service provided to the electronic device; an information generator configured to identify the contract information of the electronic device based on the identification information, and generate the information according to the contract information; and an information distributor configured to distribute the information generated by the information generator, to the electronic device.

An information processing apparatus includes circuitry. The circuitry generates an abnormal end file in response to an occurrence of an abnormal end of a process being executed, the abnormal end file indicating an occurrence state of the abnormal end, extracts a part of information from the generated abnormal end file, writes the extracted information as abnormal information in a memory, reads the abnormality information from the memory, and displays the abnormality information on a display.

A printer, capable of appropriately extending an existing replacement recommendation time of a component determined based on a life prescribed for the component, includes: a time determination unit (timer), a comparison examination unit (comparator), and a notification unit (notifier). The timer determines a time at which replacement of a component is recommended based on tendency information indicating a deterioration tendency of the component with respect to an operation status. The tendency information is generated from collection and storage of information on the operation status collected from a plurality of printers and information on a degree of deterioration at a disposal time of the component. The comparator compares a time output by the time determination unit with a predetermined life of the component, and examines whether to perform recommendation for component replacement. The notifier notifies of information on recommendation for component replacement based on an examination result of the comparator.

Provided is an image forming apparatus that shortens the waiting time of a user when returning from a power saving state to an operating state while suppressing power consumption. A return control unit switches a specific device from the power saving state to the operating state when a person is detected by a motion sensor in a situation where the specific device is in the power saving state. A performance recording unit records data of an actual start-up time, which represents a time required to start a specific program when the specific device switches from the power saving state to the operating state, in a non-volatile storage device. A sensitivity setting unit sets the sensitivity of the motion sensor according to the actual start-up time when the specific device is in the power saving state.

A device management system includes a device management apparatus; and a plurality of devices connectable to the device management apparatus. The device management apparatus includes circuitry configured to receive a notice of failure risk condition from the plurality of devices; in response to receiving a notice indicating that a first condition of the failure risk condition is satisfied from a first device, transmit to the first device a change request for changing the failure risk condition from the first condition to a second condition; identify, based on similarity between information stored for the first device and the plurality of devices other than the first device, a second device that is to be monitored using the same monitoring condition used for the first device; and transmit, to the second device, the change request for changing the failure risk condition from the first condition to the second condition.