An image processing management apparatus (3, 4) configured to connect with service providing apparatus (1, 2, 5) including an image forming apparatus and at least one further apparatus via a network for issuing an image forming request causing the image forming apparatus to form an image, the image processing management apparatus (3, 4) comprising: a registrar configured to receive device information from the service providing apparatus (1, 2, 5) provided on the network via the network, the device information including image processing function information regarding an image processing function provided by an image processing apparatus (1, 2, 5) of the service providing apparatus (1, 2, 5); a session manager (3, 302) configured to receive an image forming request including an image processing request from the service providing apparatus (1; 2) provided on the network via the network, the image processing request being generated by the first apparatus (1; 2) according to a user instruction for applying image processing to input data to generate output data, the image processing request including image processing information regarding the image processing to be applied to the input data to generate the output data; characterised in that the image processing management apparatus further comprises a service manager (3, 306, 402) configured to determine whether the image forming apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information by referring to the image processing function information to generate a first service determination result, wherein when the first service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information the service manager is configured to generate an image processing instruction to cause the image forming apparatus to apply the image processing specified by the image processing information using the image processing function provided by the image processing apparatus, and when the first service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is not capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information the service manager is configured to search for another device of the service providing apparatus that is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information, the service manager being configured to send to the another device located by the search an image processing instruction to cause the another device to apply the image processing specified by the image processing information and to return output data resulting from said image processing to the image forming apparatus for image forming. a registrar configured to receive device information from the service providing apparatus (1, 2, 5) provided on the network via the network, the device information including image processing function information regarding an image processing function provided by an image processing apparatus (1, 2, 5) of the service providing apparatus (1, 2, 5); a session manager (3, 302) configured to receive an image forming request including an image processing request from the service providing apparatus (1; 2) provided on the network via the network, the image processing request being generated by the first apparatus (1; 2) according to a user instruction for applying image processing to input data to generate output data, the image processing request including image processing information regarding the image processing to be applied to the input data to generate the output data; characterised in that the image processing management apparatus further comprises a service manager (3, 306, 402) configured to determine whether the image forming apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information by referring to the image processing function information to generate a first service determination result, wherein when the first service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information the service manager is configured to generate an image processing instruction to cause the image forming apparatus to apply the image processing specified by the image processing information using the image processing function provided by the image processing apparatus, and when the first service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is not capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information the service manager is configured to search for another device of the service providing apparatus that is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information, the service manager being configured to send to the another device located by the search an image processing instruction to cause the another device to apply the image processing specified by the image processing information and to return output data resulting from said image processing to the image forming apparatus for image forming.