US Patent 7170623 Transferring print data between print management apparatuses

In a condition that a printing device cannot be used, print can be requested to other print managing device. A center server 102 includes a print server information storage device 210 for registering vacant status of printing devices managed by a plurality of print servers 103, and each print server 103 includes external print request means 207 for requesting print of print order data to other print server 103, status registration means 205 for registering vacant status information of the printing device managed by the server itself in the print server information storage device 210, and external print request candidate reference means 206 for automatically selecting other print server 103 to which the print of the print order data is requested on the basis of the vacant status information of the printing devices managed by other print servers 103 registered in the print server information storage device 210.