Patent ID: 8667114

Claim:
A program update management server comprising: a storage unit configured to store an update program for updating a program to be managed; a setting unit configured to automatically set an update timing individually for each client of a plurality of clients in which the program to be managed is installed; an update recommending unit configured to transmit information regarding recommendation of an update so that the client acquires the update program at the update timing; and a program transmitting unit configured to transmit the update program, at the update timing, to the client that receives the information regarding recommendation of an update; wherein the program update management server receives operational data from each client of said plurality of clients and sets the update timing individually for each client based on each client's respective operational data such that the update timings are dispersed; wherein the setting of update times by the program update management server is further determined from the type of operations more prevalent in the clients as determined from their provided operational data; and wherein the clients are printers, and if the type of operations more prevalent in a first client are color printing operations as compared to monochrome printing operations and the update program provides a functional change to color printing operations, then the update timing for the first client is set earlier than the update timing of a second client whose color printing operations are not more prevalent than monochrome printing operations.