Tech Towns Which U.S. cities are today's hotbeds of technology?

Forget Silicon Valley. When it comes to technology companies,Atlanta; Austin, Texas; and Boise, Idaho, are where it's atthese days. We checked to see what kinds of companies are boomingin these burgs, what attracts entrepreneurs to the cities and whatareas will be growing over the next decade.

Atlanta
Metro population:4.26million
Telecommunications, software development, transportation logistics,biosciences and manufacturing are all major technology areas towhich Atlanta has staked a big claim, says Hans Gant, senior vicepresident of Economic Development with the Metro AtlantaChamber of Commerce.

Gant also sees a trend toward foreign technology companieslocating in Atlanta. "We have focused our efforts onattracting and growing what we call 'Industries of theMind,'" he says. Established research institutions (likeEmory University and Georgia Tech), a major international airport,incubators and a large support-services infrastructure make Atlantaan attractive big-city location for technology entrepreneurs.