The hundreds of billions that cloud-computing giants are spending to build AI-focused data centers has sent demand for networking equipment soaring. The Hanover, Md.-based Ciena provides optical communications gear with telecommunications providers historically representing the majority of its business. "This past year was driven heavily by the cloud providers, both the hyperscalers and now this kind of new group of neo-clouds or neo-scalers coming online," Ciena Chief Strategy Officer David Rothenstein said at a recent investor conference hosted by Needham.