A transmission management apparatus for use in a teleconference system comprising: a receiving unit that receives, from a first transmission terminal being one of transmission terminals connected to a network, a communication request for a communication with a second transmission terminal among the transmission terminals, terminal identification information for identifying the first transmission terminal, and terminal identification for identifying the second transmission terminal; and a first storage unit that stores therein terminal identification information for identifying the transmission terminals and relay device identification information for identifying a relay device, wherein the identification information of each of the terminals is associated with a relay device identification information, the relay device being connected to the network and configured to relay data transmitted and received by the first transmission terminal; characterized by a relay device selecting unit that selects a relay device associated with the terminal identification information of the first transmission terminal in the first storage unit; a second storage unit that stores therein the relay device identification information and encryption necessity information indicating whether it is necessary to encrypt data to be transmitted and received by the relay device identified by the associated relay device identification information, an encryption necessity determining unit that determines whether encryption is needed based on the encryption necessity information associated, in the second storage unit, with the relay device selected by the relay device selecting unit; and a transmitting unit that transmits a determination result obtained by the encryption necessity determining unit to the first transmission terminal and the second transmission terminal. a receiving unit that receives, from a first transmission terminal being one of transmission terminals connected to a network, a communication request for a communication with a second transmission terminal among the transmission terminals, terminal identification information for identifying the first transmission terminal, and terminal identification for identifying the second transmission terminal; and a first storage unit that stores therein terminal identification information for identifying the transmission terminals and relay device identification information for identifying a relay device, wherein the identification information of each of the terminals is associated with a relay device identification information, the relay device being connected to the network and configured to relay data transmitted and received by the first transmission terminal; characterized by a relay device selecting unit that selects a relay device associated with the terminal identification information of the first transmission terminal in the first storage unit; a second storage unit that stores therein the relay device identification information and encryption necessity information indicating whether it is necessary to encrypt data to be transmitted and received by the relay device identified by the associated relay device identification information, an encryption necessity determining unit that determines whether encryption is needed based on the encryption necessity information associated, in the second storage unit, with the relay device selected by the relay device selecting unit; and a transmitting unit that transmits a determination result obtained by the encryption necessity determining unit to the first transmission terminal and the second transmission terminal.