A system and method of authorizing one or more features of an application is provided. A first application having a first set of features that control one or more functionality of an image processing device and are always available and a second set of features controlling functionality different from that controlled by the first set of features and which require authorization to be operable. A second application executing on the image processing device includes data representing authorization parameters to selectively authorize one or more of the features in the second set of features. In response to detecting, by the second application, that a feature activation service is registered in an operating system of the image processing device by the first application, the second application communicates the authorization parameter data to the first application to authorize and make operable the one or more features of the second set of features.

An information processing device comprising: a data sharing unit causing an application to process data output from a data output source application; a communication interface configured to perform communication with an external device; and a processor that, when executing the instructions, performs operations comprising: acquiring an image data set from the external device through the communication interface; defining plural image data groups, each of the plural image data groups including at least one of the plurality of image data included in the image data set; selecting a plurality of the applications each of which is corresponding to each of the plural image data groups, respectively; and causing the data sharing unit to perform a sharing process of making each of the plurality of the selected applications process the at least one of the plurality of image data included in each of the plural image data groups, respectively.

A signature system includes an applicant side device and an approver side device. A full-application is installed in the applicant side device, an applicant generate, using the full-application, an expense report in which a signature field and a mark for starting up a mini application is included and print the same using a printer. An approver receives the printed expense report read the mark included in the expense report using the approver side device, thereby downloads the mini application from a server and starts up the same. Then, the approver approves the expense report on the mini application.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an application program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute a method of supporting general-purpose software incorporated in an operating system in advance by executing the application program. FAX capabilities information of a printer is acquired. Settings of functions based on the FAX capabilities information are received. The general-purpose software is caused to generate image data based on the settings. The printer is caused to execute processing for transmitting the image data by FAX.

A control method includes performing control in such a manner that, even in a case where a communication apparatus incompatible with a predetermined program is included in one or a plurality of communication apparatuses found by a search conducted by a first information processing apparatus, the one or the plurality of communication apparatuses including the communication apparatus incompatible with the predetermined program is displayed on a first screen, and performing control in such a manner that, in a case where a communication apparatus incompatible with the predetermined program is included in one or a plurality of communication apparatuses found by a search conducted by a second information processing apparatus, the one or the plurality of communication apparatuses not including the communication apparatus incompatible with the predetermined program is displayed on a second screen.

According to one embodiment, image forming apparatus includes a storage device for storing a first built-in application to perform a first function, a second built-in application to perform a second function, and a web server application associated with the second built-in application. The apparatus further includes a processor and an operation panel to receive user selections. The processor is configured to receive instructions to execute the first built-in application and the second built-in application in conjunction with the first built-in application, execute the first built-in application to perform the first function, activate the web server application associated with the second built-in application, and then, after activating the web server application, execute the second built-in application to perform the second function.

An information processing apparatus on which a plurality of applications is able to operate, the information processing apparatus comprising: an identifying unit configured to identify, on a first screen, an instruction of a transition to a second application, the first screen being provided by a first application; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit a transition information if the instruction of the transition is identified, the transition information including launcher information of the second application and identification information for identifying the first application, wherein a second screen is provided on a display unit based on the launcher information by the second application and the object is displayed on the second screen based on launcher information of the first application which is generated based on the identification information by the second application, and wherein if the object is selected, the first screen being provided by the first application is displayed.

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes a storage device and a processor. The storage device stores firmware, an embedded application bundled in the firmware, and additional information prepared separately from the embedded application. The processor installs the firmware and the embedded application. The processor installs the embedded application after installing the firmware, and executes setting relating to the installed embedded application by referring to the additional information.

An information processing apparatus on which a plurality of applications is able to operate, the information processing apparatus comprising: an identifying unit configured to identify, on a first screen, an instruction of a transition to a second application, the first screen being provided by a first application; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit a transition information if the instruction of the transition is identified, the transition information including launcher information of the second application and identification information for identifying the first application, wherein a second screen is provided on a display unit based on the launcher information by the second application and the object is displayed on the second screen based on launcher information of the first application which is generated based on the identification information by the second application, and wherein if the object is selected, the first screen being provided by the first application is displayed.