An image forming apparatus which is connected to an external device via a communication unit includes a launching program identification unit which stores launching program information for specifying a program module to be executed upon launching from a plurality of program modules for realizing a plurality of functions, and a program management unit which executes a program module corresponding to the launching program information when the image forming apparatus is activated, on the basis of the launching program information stored in the launching program identification unit. License information containing the identification information and launching program information of the apparatus is acquired from a PC via the communication unit. The launching program information stored in the launching program identification unit is updated on the basis of the acquired license information, thereby changing the program module to be executed upon activating the apparatus.