Order support system, device monitoring method, and program product

A device monitoring method to be executed by a computer, the device monitoring method comprising:

• searching for one or more devices connected to a communication network and acquiring device information from each of the devices found as a result of the search;
• obtaining specified information used for extracting one or more of the devices to be candidates for monitor targets, wherein the information is specified according to a predetermined attribute included in the device information;
• extracting, by a device monitoring apparatus, based on the information obtained at the obtaining, one or more devices to be the candidates for the monitor targets from among the devices found as a result of the searching;
• displaying a list of the devices extracted at the extracting, from which list one or more of the devices are to be selected as the monitor targets;
• sending the devices selected as the monitor targets to an order-support apparatus;
• acquiring, by the device monitoring apparatus, a list of the devices selected as the monitor targets from the order-support apparatus, and acquiring status information of at least one consumable element in each of the devices selected as the monitor targets received from the order-support apparatus;
• sending the status information to the order-support apparatus;
• and
• receiving an e-mail, created by the order-support apparatus, comprising a URL indicating a website used for ordering at least one consumable element that is detected as being deficient according to the received status information, wherein the e-mail is received at an e-mail address registered in advance in association with the device corresponding to the deficient consumable element.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute a method comprising:

• searching for one or more devices connected to a communication network and acquiring device information from each of the devices found as a result of the search;
• obtaining specified information used for extracting one or more of the devices to be candidates for monitor targets, wherein the information is specified according to a predetermined attribute included in the device information;
• extracting, based on the information obtained at the obtaining, one or more devices to be the candidates for the monitor targets from among the devices found as a result of the searching;
• displaying a list of the devices extracted at the extracting, from which list one or more of the devices are to be selected as the monitor targets;
• sending the devices selected as the monitor targets to an order-support apparatus;
• acquiring a list of the devices selected as the monitor targets from the order-support apparatus, and acquiring status information of at least one consumable element in each of the devices selected as the monitor targets received from the order-support apparatus;
• sending the status information to the order-support apparatus;
• and
• receiving an e-mail, created by the order-support apparatus, comprising a URL indicating a website used for ordering at least one consumable element that is detected as being deficient according to the received status information, wherein the e-mail is received at an e-mail address registered in advance in association with the device corresponding to the deficient consumable element.