Patent ID: 8531712

Claim:
An image forming apparatus configured to communicate with a monitoring apparatus for transmitting monitoring information to a management apparatus via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising: a storage unit configured to store information of a sending destination for transmitting the monitoring information to the management apparatus; a receiving unit configured to receive an inquiry from the monitoring apparatus as to whether or not the image forming apparatus includes a function for changing information of the sending destination; a responding unit configured to return, to the monitoring apparatus, a response indicating that the image forming apparatus includes the function for changing the information of the sending destination in accordance with the inquiry when the image forming apparatus includes the function for changing information of the sending destination and it is determined that no monitoring is performed by an external device different from the monitoring apparatus, and to return, to the monitoring apparatus, a response indicating that the image forming apparatus includes no function for changing the information of the sending destination in accordance with the inquiry when the image forming apparatus includes no function for changing the information of the sending destination or the monitoring is performed by the external device; a changing unit configured to change the information of the sending destination to the monitoring apparatus in accordance with a reception of change information for changing the sending destination of monitoring information to the monitoring apparatus, having received the response indicating that the image forming apparatus includes the function for changing the information of the sending destination; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the monitoring information to the monitoring apparatus based on the change information of the sending destination.