Patent ID: 7937749

Claim:
A method for managing an information processing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: arranging a first digital certificate issuing organization and a second digital certificate issuing organization; issuing a first digital certificate that is a provisional digital certificate from the first digital certificate issuing organization to the information processing apparatus; establishing a connection for encrypted communication, by using the first digital certificate, between the information processing apparatus and the second digital certificate issuing organization, the first digital certificate enabling the information processing apparatus to join a first network that is a trial network but not enabling the information processing apparatus to join a second network that is a non-trial network operated independent of the first network; checking whether or not the information processing apparatus meets a standard of security during a trial use in which the information processing apparatus joins the first network, the checking including one or more of the following: checking whether the information processing apparatus is infected by a virus, checking whether the information processing apparatus has a security hole, and checking whether the information processing apparatus is altered; and after establishing the connection between the information processing apparatus and the second digital certificate issuing organization and confirming that the information processing apparatus meets the standard of security, issuing a second digital certificate that is a formal digital certificate from the second digital certificate issuing organization to the information processing apparatus, the second digital certificate enabling the information processing apparatus to join the second network.