Patent ID: 8732257

Claim:
A server apparatus for establishing communication with a plurality of input/output devices via a network, the apparatus comprising: a memory configured to store information of the input/output devices in association with information of at least one group to which the respective input/output devices belong; and circuitry configured to establish and manage a communication session with each of the input/output devices based on the information of the at least one group via the network; execute an application program; receive from the input/output devices an operation instruction for the application program and to transmit to the input/output devices a processing result of the application program responsive to the operation instruction while referring to the information of the at least one group; determine whether achievement of the processing result requires connection of the input/output devices to an external server; and generate, in response to determining that the processing result cannot be achieved by the server apparatus and requires connection of the input/output devices with the external server, a message for instructing the input/output devices to connect to the external server, wherein the message includes information of the at least one group.