An image scanning method includes: generating, in a terminal, a scan job ticket as a data file including a content of job to store scan data generated by scanning in a storage, the scan data being to be; sending the scan job ticket from the terminal to a scanning apparatus; receiving, in the scanning apparatus, the scan job ticket and accepting an initiation operation for initiating the job in response to the receiving of the scan job ticket; performing, in the scanning apparatus, the scanning to generate the scan data in response to the accepting of the initiation operation; and storing the scan data in the storage.

An image forming apparatus 176 capable of easy log-in to a desired cloud service includes a print engine communicable with a cloud server 170 for printing a print job received from cloud server 170, a reader/writer 174 capable of proximity communication with a portable terminal 172, and a log-in executing device receiving log-in information to cloud server 170 from portable terminal 172 through reader/writer 174, for executing the log-in process to cloud server 170 using the log-in information.

An information processing apparatus generates data by a data generation operation by a user, transmits the data to an information management apparatus, and set a prescribed time capable of a disclosure cancel operation by the user upon generating the data. The information processing apparatus, when the prescribed time has elapsed without the cancel operation by the user, transmits, to the information management apparatus, a notification which allows disclosure of the data to another information processing apparatus.

A retrieval device includes: a printer configured to print a document onto paper together with an identifier image, the identifier image representing an identifier of the document; a storage configured to correlate electronic data for the document with the identifier to store the electronic data; an image taking device configured to photograph the identifier image in the paper; an input device configured to receive an input of a keyword; a search portion configured to search for the keyword in the document by using the electronic data corresponding to the identifier represented in the identifier image photographed; and a display device configured to display a result of the search made by the search portion.