Metro Atlanta is fast-growing market for data centers

The computing cloud isn’t an amorphous blob floating invisibly in the atmosphere. It sits in buildings across metro Atlanta, vast complexes kept meticulously clean, where temperature and humidity are ruthlessly controlled and intricate networks of power substations and cooling tanks keep everything humming.

They power websites and keep information in computing clouds, where photos, emails, personal information and other data can be stored wirelessly. The typical smartphone accesses these clouds dozens of times a day, when you check online email, browse websites and access your bank account.

And analysts say Atlanta is becoming one of the fastest-growing markets for the buildings that house these troves of data. That demand is only likely to grow as the demand for cloud computing expands. But the impact on Atlanta’s office market is a bit cloudier.