Patent ID: 7079268

Claim:
An information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of terminal devices, the information processing apparatus for instructing a specified terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices to transfer image data to a printer in response to a print request received by the information processing apparatus from one of the plurality of terminal devices, said apparatus comprising: an order management database storing management information about the image data stored in the specified terminal device; a specifying unit adapted to specify a terminal device in which the image data to be printed has been stored in accordance with the print request and the stored management information, wherein the print request includes information for designating the printer as a print destination; and a first designating unit adapted to instruct the terminal device specified by said specifying unit to transfer the image data to the printer designated as the print destination without passing the image data through the information processing apparatus; and management unit adapted to manage record information including a printing date indicating the printing was performed by the printer based on the instruction by said first designating unit.