A method and system are provided for forwarding telephone calls, facsimile transmissions and electronic messages to a single forwarding telephone number. The telephone calls, fax transmissions and electronic messages are first forwarded to a central forwarding repository by the forwarding party where the fax transmissions, and messages are converted to audio formats. Forwarded telephone calls and audio formatted versions of the fax transmissions and electronic messages are then forwarded directly to a designated forwarding number. If the forwarding party answers at the forwarding number, she will receive forwarded calls, and the audio formatted versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages will be played to her over her telephone. If the forwarding party does not answer the forwarded call, she subsequently may retrieve saved telephone calls, saved telephone messages and saved audio versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages from the central forwarding repository.

There is provided an image communicating apparatus which is capable of performing a deemed voice communication, and includes a telephone control unit configured to control communication by connecting a telephone, and a modem configured to control FAX communication by the deemed voice communication. In the image communicating apparatus, communication is controlled so that a detection unit configured to perform detection processing of detecting facsimile reception by software performs the detection processing during a period in which the modem cannot detect the facsimile reception.

An image forming apparatus equipped with a plurality of service applications for providing respective services, in a state enabling a selected one of the service applications to be automatically started from a terminal apparatus. An image forming apparatus capable of performing printing includes a NFC unit. An NFC controller generates data to be read out by an external apparatus, according to selection of one of a plurality of applications. The NFC controller writes the generated data into the NFC unit.

A method and system are provided for forwarding telephone calls, facsimile transmissions and electronic messages to a single forwarding telephone number. The telephone calls, fax transmissions and electronic messages are first forwarded to a central forwarding repository by the forwarding party where the fax transmissions, and messages are converted to audio formats. Forwarded telephone calls and audio formatted versions of the fax transmissions and electronic messages are then forwarded directly to a designated forwarding number. If the forwarding party answers at the forwarding number, she will receive forwarded calls, and the audio formatted versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages will be played to her over her telephone. If the forwarding party does not answer the forwarded call, she subsequently may retrieve saved telephone calls, saved telephone messages and saved audio versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages from the central forwarding repository.