An image forming apparatus includes hardware resources used by an image forming
process, a storage section that stores programs for carrying out processes of user
services and control services related to the image forming process, an updating
data selection section that selects an updating data for at least one of programs
from an updating data group, based on a program of a control service that is started
or is startable, and an updating section that updates at least one arbitrary program
stored in the storage section based on the selected updating data.