An image forming apparatus includes a reception unit and an execution unit. The reception unit receives a first parameter, which is to be transmitted responsive to a user issued request instruction sent to the apparatus and is described in a format that conforms to a first network protocol corresponding to the request. The execution unit, when the apparatus is compliant with the first network protocol, interprets the received first parameter and executes request processing based on a result of interpretation, and, when the apparatus is not compliant, adds the received first parameter to a second parameter which is described in a format per a second network protocol different from the first network protocol, transmits the second parameter to a server, receives a processing result from the server which has interpreted the first parameter based on the second parameter, and executes request processing based on the processing result.