Patent ID: 8849702

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: a processor including: a receiving unit configured to receive a utilization request for a service provided by a computer; a service attribute information storage unit configured to store, for each service, service attribute information, the service attribute information including information indicating a type of the service and evaluation information about contents of the service; and a service recommending unit configured to search the service attribute information storage unit for the service attribute information concerning the type designated by the utilization request, and determine a utilization-recommended service based on the evaluation information in the service attribute information from the service attribute information storage unit, wherein the service attribute information includes, depending on billed amounts at times of utilizing the services that include services for which billings do not take place at times of utilizing the services, information indicating evaluation values of billed amounts, evaluation values of quality, evaluation values of delivery times and locations where the services are provided, wherein the services have a hierarchical relationship, wherein the service attribute information of the service for which the service at a lower level in the hierarchical relationship is replaceable includes relating information to the service attribute information of the service at the lower level, and wherein the service recommending unit is configured to, when the service attribute information of the utilization-recommended service includes the relating information, acquire the service attribute information of the service at the lower level from the service attribute storage unit based on the relating information, search the service attribute information storage unit for the service attribute information whose type and location where the service is provided correspond to the type and location where the service is provided of the acquired service attribute information, and determine a utilization-recommended service at a lower level based on an evaluation value calculated based on the evaluation value of a billed amount, the evaluation value of quality and the evaluation value of a delivery time in the service attribute information retrieved from the service attribute information storage unit.