With the increasing use of "the cloud" and what has been called "the Era of Infinite Capacity", there is still a need for professional Data Center Capacity Planners.

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There is a need to know what will be needed, and when. Data must continually be collected regarding usage of power/energy, computing power, data storage and networking/telecommunications. Plans must include awareness of cooling and space requirements.

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Sometimes analysis of this data, and comparison to industry norms, can be outsourced. The balance for the need to focus more on data collection or analysis depends on current use levels: prior to 50%, the focus can stay more on data collection. Beyond 75%, the focus must shift to analysis, in preparation for upgrades.