Patent ID: 8676957

Claim:
A method of monitoring a plurality of image printing devices communicatively coupled to a first local network, comprising: periodically obtaining, from an image printing device of the plurality of image printing devices by a service machine connected to a second local network at a service center using a first Internet protocol via a firewall over the Internet, first device information of the image printing device, the first device information including a globally unique identifier and at least one of a semi-static state and a dynamic state of the image printing device; storing, by the service machine, the obtained first device information into an information storage; processing, by the service machine, stored information of the plurality of image printing devices monitored by the service machine to generate second device information that includes a statistical summary of status information of each of the plurality of image printing devices; and transmitting, at regular periodic intervals or upon request, the second device information using a second Internet protocol from the service machine to a second computer that is connected to the first local network of the plurality of image printing devices.