Approach for collecting and reporting status data from network devices

A computer-readable medium for processing printing device status data, the computer-readable medium carrying instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

• receiving over a network, printing device status data that reflects the status of two or more printing devices, wherein each of the two or more printing devices includes a print process configured to process print data and generate a printed version of an electronic document;
• authenticating a first recipient device;
• authenticating a second recipient device;
• receiving a request for report data from the first recipient device;
• in response to receiving the request for report data from the first recipient device,
• generating, based upon the printing device status data, first report data that conforms to a first data format, and
• providing the first report data to the first recipient device;
• receiving a request for report data from the second recipient device;
• and
• in response to receiving the request for report data from the second recipient device,
• generating, based upon the printing device status data, second report data that conforms to a second data format that is different than the first data format, and
• providing the second report data to the second recipient device.

An apparatus for processing printing device status data, the apparatus being configured to:

• receive over a network, printing device status data that reflects the status of two or more printing devices, wherein each of the two or more printing devices includes a print process configured to process print data and generate a printed version of an electronic document;
• authenticate a first recipient device;
• authenticate a second recipient device;
• receive a request for report data from the first recipient device;
• in response to receiving the request for report data from the first recipient device,
• generate, based upon the printing device status data, first report data that conforms to a first data format, and
• provide the first report data to the first recipient device;
• receive a request for report data from the second recipient device;
• and
• in response to receiving the request for report data from the second recipient device,
• generate, based upon the printing device status data, second report data that conforms to a second data format that is different than the first data format, and
• provide the second report data to the second recipient device.