Integration and management apparatus, integration and management system and computer readable information recording medium

A method performed by an integration and management apparatus connected via a network to an information processing apparatus including at least one software program running thereon, the method comprising:

• analyzing a linkage software component for performing a function linkage process using a program interface provided by the software program running on the information processing apparatus, to obtain a setting for the function linkage process;
• obtaining a linkage program corresponding to the setting from the linkage software component;
• and
• executing the obtained linkage program to perform the function linkage process using the program interface.

An integration and management system, comprising:

• an information processing apparatus including at least one software program running thereon;
• and
• an integration and management apparatus connected via a network to the information processing apparatus,
• wherein the integration and management apparatus includes
• a storing part that stores a linkage software component for performing a function linkage process using a program interface provided by the software program running on the information processing apparatus,
• an analyzing part that analyzes the linkage software component to obtain a setting for the function linkage process, and obtains a linkage program corresponding to the setting from the linkage software component, and
• an executing part that executes the obtained linkage program to perform the function linkage process using the program interface.