A transmission management apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives, from a first transmission terminal, a communication request for a communication with a second transmission terminal; a fists storage unit that stores therein terminal identification information for identifying the transmission terminals and relay device identification information for identifying a relay device that relays data to be transmitted and received by the first transmission terminal, in an associated manner; a relay device selecting unit that selects the relay device associated with the terminal identification information of the first transmission terminal in the first storage unit; a second storage unit that stores therein the relay device identification information and encryption necessity information in an associated manner; and an encryption necessity determining unit that determines whether encryption is needed based on the encryption necessity information associated, in the second storage unit, with the relay device se
