Patent ID: 7657601

Claim:
A computer-executable method for formulating a planning recommendation for a messaging platform capable of accepting and storing electronic messages for delivery to one or more mailboxes, the method comprising: receiving mailbox data specifying a projected maximum number of mailboxes to be provided by the messaging platform; receiving growth assumption data specifying a projected change in average message size of electronic messages accepted by the messaging platform over time; receiving traffic assumption data identifying a portion of message traffic on the messaging platform projected to occur during any periodically recurring time interval for which message traffic has previously exceeded a predetermined threshold; receiving baseline data specifying at least one maximum performance capability of the messaging platform; receiving messaging platform data specifying any of: a quantity of incoming messages to be accepted by the messaging platform, a quantity of accepted messages to be stored by the messaging platform, a quantity of stored messages to be deleted by the messaging platform, and a quantity of stored messages to be retrieved by the messaging platform; generating, by the computer, two messaging platform planning recommendations by applying algorithms to the received mailbox data, the received traffic and growth assumption data, the received baseline data, and the received messaging platform data, a first messaging platform planning recommendation being based upon a first mathematical algorithm that formulates a planning recommendation designed to provide reliable messaging services throughout a first time period having a first expected growth rate, a second messaging platform planning recommendation being based upon a second mathematical algorithm that formulates a planning recommendation designed to provide reliable messaging services throughout a second time period longer than the first time period, and having a second expected growth rate greater than the first expected growth rate; and placing the generated messaging platform planning recommendations into a humanly discernible form by at least one of: printing the planning recommendations, displaying the planning recommendations on an electronic display mechanism, or outputting the planning recommendations in audible form.