Printing system, image forming apparatus and print management program

An image forming apparatus connected to other image forming apparatuses over a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

• a memory that stores print data;
• a printing unit that performs printing based on the print data;
• a counter that counts the number of pages printed by the printing unit based on the print data for each user group;
• a processor that generates as partial print data part of the print data stored in the memory;
• a transmission controller that sends the partial print data generated by the processor to one or more of the other image forming apparatuses;
• and
• a reception controller that receives the counter value or values representing the number of pages printed by one or more of the other image forming apparatuses based on the partial print data.

A print management method that records the number of pages printed using an image forming apparatus connected with other image forming apparatus over a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing print data in a memory;
• performing printing based on the print data;
• counting the number of pages printed based on the print data for each group;
• generating as partial print data part of the print data stored in the memory;
• sending the generated partial print data to the other image forming apparatus or apparatuses;
• and
• receiving the counter value representing the number of pages printed by each other image forming apparatus based on the partial print data.