An external device judges whether or not a image forming is brought into an operation mode in which the number of pages having an image formed thereon is managed for each division, each user belonging to the division, in a image forming device, when the request for the image forming in the image forming device from a user is accepted. The external device confirms that a division code of the user who has requested the image forming is set, when it is judged that the image forming is brought into the operation mode in which the number of the pages is managed for each division, and transmits the request for the image forming together with the division code to the image forming device, when it is confirmed that the division code of the user who has requested the image forming is set.