System, method, and apparatus for management of remote device replenishment, with processing resource conserving automatic suspending—automatic resuming management processing

Abstract

A device management apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention for managing a plurality of devices which consume or deplete a product, said apparatus having a storage for storing device identification information and provider information in association with one another, a receiving unit for receiving device identification information and product information which has been transmitted by a device among the plurality of devices, a determination unit for determining whether or not the consumption status or depletion status expressed by the product information satisfies determination conditions, and a notification unit which, when the determination unit has determined that the determination conditions are met, notifies a provider device which is associated with the provider identified on the basis of the provider information associated with the device identification information about an action which pertains to a product which is consumed or depleted by the device identified by the device identification information.