Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for transforming entity device to a multi-functional device via a remote communication link. In particular, the system may be configured to receive an interaction request from an associate, via an associate device, wherein the interaction request is associated with a user, authenticate the associate using the associate device, in response to authenticating the associate, establish a remote communication link between the associate device and an entity device, receive an activation request from the associate to activate the entity device, via the associate device and the remote communication link, and in response to receiving the activation request, activate the entity device and transform the entity device to a multi-functional device.

A printing device includes: a communication interface communicable with a server capable of offering a specific printing service under a contract with the printing device; and a controller configured to control transition of an operation mode of the printing device from a non-contract mode without any contract with the server to a contract mode where the printing device is recognized as a contract-covered device eligible for executing specific printing under the contract. In response to receiving a command from the server to execute the transition to the contract mode, the controller is configured to perform: a determination process to determine whether the transition to the contract mode is to be executed; and a mode control process to maintain the non-contract mode without executing the transition to the contract mode against the transition command when the transition to the contract mode is determined not to be executed in the determination process.

A server system connectable to a print system including a transmission unit configured to transmit received print data to a printer includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire information indicating an amount of a consumable which is used for printing of transmitted print data to the printer, and a placement unit configured to place an order for the consumable to be used by the printer, based on the acquired information.

A method of automatically creating trust communities in a fleet of devices. The method includes finding candidate devices in a fleet of devices via one or more candidate discovery techniques and generating device-related data based on the candidate devices that are found, analyzing the device-related data via an analytics engine and creating one or more fleet orchestrator device lists based on the analysis of the device-related data, and automatically creating one or more new trust communities or suggesting joining one or more previously existing trust communities based at least on the one or more fleet orchestrator device lists for the candidate devices, wherein the one or more new trust communities or previously existing trust communities include at least a sub-set of the devices in the fleet, and wherein at least one of the managed devices in the sub-set of devices is configured as a root device to publish files via a file sharing function.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an image forming apparatus configured to print files stored in a plurality of servers. The image forming apparatus comprises a retaining unit configured to retain files transmitted according to an instruction issued by a user, a display control unit configured to control a display of a print instruction screen that includes a first list generated based on a storage file list showing files, which are files stored in any one of the plurality of servers and correspond to user authentication information inputted when logging into the image forming apparatus, and a second list showing the retained files, and a printing unit configured to print files selected by the user on the print instruction screen. The first list is a list obtained by synthesizing a plurality of the storage file lists that are transmitted from the plurality of servers, respectively.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which is stored instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that data stored in a memory device of a printer cartridge installed in a printing device is to be updated. The printing device may be in remote communication with the apparatus via a network connection. The instructions may also cause the processor to identify update data that is to be used to update the data stored in the memory device. The instructions may further cause the processor to communicate, via the network connection with the printing device, the identified update data to the printing device. The printing device may update the data stored in the memory device of the printer cartridge with the update data.

A printing system is provided including a printer server accessible over a first network at a first location and a cloud service accessible from both the first location and a second network at a second network. A user with a client computer moving between the first network and the second network can print using either the printer server, when the user is on the first network, or the cloud service, when the user is on the second network. The client computer is configured detect its location and receive configuration information from the cloud service. The configuration information changes the method used by the client computer to print depending upon the client computer's detected location.

A print control server that controls printing through an SNS includes a registration section configured to register, in association with each other, a first account that is an account of a user of the SNS and print setting information including designation information of a printer to be used for printing. The registration section issues a first password when accepting a designation of the first account and a designation of a second account that is an account of a user of the SNS and that is to be a share destination of a print setting, notifies the first account of the first password through the SNS, and registers, when a password posted on the SNS by the second account coincides with the first password, the print setting information registered in association with the first account also in association with the second account.

Information apparatus and application software supporting printing over air or network are herein disclosed and enabled. The information apparatus may include one or more software components that include (1) a discovery component to discover a supported printer in a local area network (LAN) and to receive device information related to the printer (e.g., capability, language or format supported, identification) from the printer, and (2) a printing component to generate or obtain print data based on the device information received and to transmit the print data to the discovered printer. After establishing the connection to the LAN, application software (e.g., Internet browser, email, photos, documents) in the information apparatus may print digital content by using the discovery component to discover the printer in the LAN, and may use the printing component to obtain and transmit print data in a form that is acceptable to the printer for printing the digital content.

An image printing system includes a plurality of image printing apparatuses each configured to accept a print order and print the image data, a payment machine performing a billing process, and a ticketing machine. If payment at the payment machine is selected, the image printing apparatus issues a first ticket and transmits order details to the payment machine. If payment at a counter is selected, the image printing apparatus 1 transmits second key information to the ticketing machine. After performing a billing process, the payment machine issues a third ticket on which first key information is printed and transmits the first key information to the image printing apparatus. The ticketing machine issues a fourth ticket including the second key information. The image printing apparatus prints the image data if accepting input of the key information printed on the third ticket or the fourth ticket.