Patent ID: 8484743

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for performing an image-related process, the image forming apparatus comprising: a first authentication portion that performs user authentication as a first authentication process on a user who is to log onto the image forming apparatus; a second authentication portion that performs a second authentication process, other than said user authentication, on the user successfully authenticated by the first authentication portion, and thereby determines whether or not the user is permitted to log onto the image forming apparatus; a first authentication information storage portion that stores therein first authentication information of user authentication used for the first authentication process performed by the first authentication portion; a second authentication information storage portion that stores therein second authentication information used for the second authentication process performed by the second authentication portion; a correlated information storage portion that stores therein correlated information for correlating the first authentication information with the second authentication information; and a cooperative setting portion that performs setting therethrough, on a user-by-user basis, whether or not the first authentication process and the second authentication process are performed in combination with each other, wherein, if the user for whom setting is performed such that the first authentication process and the second authentication process are performed in combination with each other is successfully authenticated by the first authentication portion, then the second authentication portion determines that said user is to be permitted to log onto the image forming apparatus based on said correlated information and does not perform the second authentication process, and, if the user for whom setting is performed such that the first authentication process and the second authentication process are not performed in combination with each other is successfully authenticated by the first authentication portion, then the second authentication portion performs the second authentication process on said user not based on said correlated information.