Apparatus management device and method for merging additional information identifiers into information acquisition requests

An information processing apparatus includes a storing unit, a determining unit, and a merging unit. The storing unit stores control data including apparatus identifiers identifying communication apparatuses and requested information identifiers identifying information items specified in information acquisition requests for the communication apparatuses. The determining unit determines whether a specified communication apparatus specified in a newly-received information acquisition request is already registered in the control data. If the specified communication apparatus is already registered in the control data, the merging unit determines whether a requested information identifier specified in the newly-received information acquisition request is recorded in the control data for the specified communication apparatus. If the requested information identifier is not recorded in the control data, the merging unit adds the requested information identifier to a list of requested information identifiers associated with an information acquisition job for the specified communication apparatus.