Patent ID: 8726401

Claim:
A data transmission apparatus that uses a plurality of types of transmission media, which transmits data using at least one of the plurality of types of transmission media, the apparatus comprising: a processor coupled to a memory and programmed to function as: a destination storage unit configured to store a group destination including a plurality of individual destinations and respective types of transmission media associated with the individual destinations, wherein the group destination is defined to handle the plurality of individual destinations as one destination; and a transmission controller that identifies a restricted type of transmission medium for which a current user does not have use authority, by referring to an authority storage unit that stores authority information representing each of a plurality of users' use authorities to use one of the plurality of types of transmission media for transmitting data, and that restricts transmission of data to a group destination including an individual destination to which the restricted type of transmission medium is associated, wherein the transmission controller notifies the user by a selected one of a plurality of notification methods that data transmission using the group destination is restricted, the group destination including an individual destination to which the restricted type of transmission medium is associated, and wherein the plurality of types of transmission media includes at least one of: email, facsimile (FAX), file transfer protocol (FTP), and server message block (SMB).