Abstract: A management apparatus manages a plurality of devices. The management apparatus includes a management part that manages, for each one of the devices, one of communication systems used for carrying out communication between the management apparatus and the one of the devices and a communication data amount between the management apparatus and the one of the devices; a setting part that sets a permissible communication amount for each one of the communication systems; and a determination part that determines whether to be able to provide a service to one of the devices based on a communication data amount required for providing the service to the one of the devices, the permissible communication amount of one of the communication systems used by the one of the devices and a total of the communication data amounts of respective ones of the devices each using the one of the communication systems.

Abstract: A license-renewal management apparatus, connected to an image forming apparatus and a license management server, includes: a storage unit that stores an identifier that identifies the image forming apparatus associated with payment information about whether usage charge for the software has been paid; a notification receiving unit that receives a notification of expiration of the license from the image forming apparatus; and a renewal-method setting unit that, on receiving the notification, causes automatic renewal of the license for the software installed onto the image forming apparatus to be stopped.

Abstract: A software management apparatus includes a software-information obtaining unit that, when receiving a first installation request for installation of a software component onto an image forming apparatus specified by a user, obtains software information on the software component requested to be installed from a software distribution server; a request generating unit that generates a second installation request for installation of the software component requested to be installed based on the software information on the software component requested to be installed and the device information on the specified image forming apparatus; and a request transmitting unit that transmits the second installation request to the specified image forming apparatus so as to cause the software component, which is requested to be installed, to be installed onto the specified image forming apparatus.