Patent ID: 8179550

Claim:
A management apparatus configured to manage a plurality of image processing apparatuses in communication with each other, the management apparatus comprising: a management unit configured to, in order to provide processing performed by a virtual device to a user by cooperatively operating a plurality of image processing apparatuses constituting the virtual device, manage information associating each of the plurality of image processing apparatuses constituting the virtual device with a function executed by the each of the plurality of image processing apparatuses; a control unit configured to provide a display for setting a virtual device as a transmission destination of transmission data; an identification unit configured to, if a virtual device is set as the transmission destination of the transmission data, identify an image processing apparatus that executes a function corresponding to a type of the transmission data from among the plurality of image processing apparatuses constituting the set virtual device based on the information managed by the management unit; a transmission unit configured to transmit the transmission data to the image processing apparatus identified by the identification unit; a determination unit configured to, if a plurality of transmission destinations is set, determine whether a plurality of transmission data of a same type is transmitted by the transmission unit to one image processing apparatus; and a designation unit configured to, if it is determined by the determination unit that a plurality of transmission data of a same type is transmitted to one image processing apparatus, designate a transmission method for transmitting the plurality of transmission data to the one image processing apparatus according to the type of the transmission data, wherein the transmission unit transmits the transmission data according to the transmission method designated by the designation unit.