To provide a communication system, an image forming apparatus and a host device, allowing a user to continue processing by providing, to the user, information related to a substitute device having a function required by the user even when the image forming apparatus cannot be used because a failure occurs in the image forming apparatus.
In this communication system, a client device 500 transmits 'print attribute information' showing a form (color printing, double-face printing or the like) of printing desired by the user to the image forming apparatus 400a. The image forming apparatus 400a transmits the received 'print attribute information' to a center device 200. The center device 200 retrieves an image forming device 400b having a printing function desired by the user from a contract information table on the basis of the received 'print attribute information', and transmits its 'IP address', 'installation place information', and 'manager information' to an image forming apparatus 400a. The image forming apparatus 400a transmits the received information to the client device 500. Thereby, the user can performs printing in the desired printing form by use of the substitute image forming apparatus 400b without waiting correction work of the image forming apparatus 400a wherein the failure occurs.
NAKAYAMA KENJI
TAMURA TORU
ADACHI KOJI
NAKAGAWA EIGO
SATONAGA TETSUKAZU
