S&P 500 study Companies issuing RTO mandates lose their best talent: Study Despite the risks, firms and Trump are eager to get people back into offices. Scharon Harding Dec 17, 2024 3:19 pm | 73 Credit: Getty Credit: Getty Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreReturn-to-office (RTO) mandates have caused companies to lose some of their best workers, a study tracking over 3 million workers at 54 "high-tech and financial" firms at the S&P 500 index has found. These companies also have greater challenges finding new talent, the report concluded.The paper, Return-to-Office Mandates and Brain Drain [PDF], comes from researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Baylor University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. The study, which was published in November, spotted this month by human resources publication HR Dive, and cites Ars Technica reporting, was conducted by collecting information on RTO announcements and sourcing data from LinkedIn. The researchers said they only examined companies with data available for at least two quarters before and after they issued RTO mandates. The researchers explained:To collect employee turnover data, we follow prior literature ... and obtain the employment history information of over 3 million employees of the 54 RTO firms from Revelio Labs, a leading data provider that extracts information from employee LinkedIn profiles. We manually identify employees who left a firm during each period, then calculate the firms turnover rate by dividing the number of departing employees by the total employee headcount at the beginning of the period. We also obtain information about employees gender, seniority, and the number of skills listed on their individual LinkedIn profiles, which serves as a proxy for employees skill level.There are limits to the study, however. The researchers noted that the study "cannot draw causal inferences based on our setting." Further, smaller firms and firms outside of the high-tech and financial industries may show different results. Although not mentioned in the report, relying on data from a social media platform could also yield inaccuracies, and the number of skills listed on a LinkedIn profile may not accurately depict a worker's skill level.Still, the study provides insight into how employees respond to RTO mandates and the effect it has on corporations and available talent at a time when entities like Dell, Amazon, and the US government are getting stricter about in-office work.Higher turnover ratesThe researchers concluded that the average turnover rates for firms increased by 14 percent after issuing return-to-office policies."We expect the effect of RTO mandates on employee turnover to be even higher for other firms" the paper says.The researchers included testing to ensure that the results stemmed from RTO mandates rather than time trends. For example, the researchers found that there were no significant increases in turnover rates during any of the five quarters prior to the RTO announcement quarter.Potentially alarming for employers is the study finding that senior and skilled employees were more likely to leave following RTO mandates. This aligns with a study from University of Chicago and University of Michigan researchers published in May that found that Apple and Microsoft saw senior-level employee bases decrease by 5 percentage points and SpaceXa decrease of 5 percentage points. (For its part, Microsoft told Ars that the report did not align with internal data.)Senior employees are expected to be more likely to leave, the new report argues, because such workers have more connections with other companies" and have easier times finding new jobs. Further, senior, skilled employees are dissatisfied when management blames remote work for low productivity.Similarly, the report supports concerns from some RTO-resistant employees that back-to-office mandates have a disproportionate impact on certain groups, like women, which the researchers said show "more pronounced" attrition rates following RTO mandates:Importantly, the effect on female employee turnover is almost three times as high as that on male employees ... One possible reason for these results is that female employees are more affected by RTO mandates due to their greater family responsibilities, which increases their demand for workplace flexibility and work-life balance.Trouble finding talentRTO mandates also have a negative impact on companies' ability to find new employees, the study found. After examining over 2 million job postings, the researchers concluded that companies with RTO mandates take longer to fill job vacancies than before:On average, the time it takes for an RTO firm to fill its job vacancies increases by approximately 23 percent, and the hire rate decreases by 17 percent after RTO mandates.The researchers also found significantly higher hiring costs induced by RTO mandates and concluded that the findings combined suggest that firms lose their best talent after RTO mandates and face significant difficulties replacing them."The weakest form of managementRTO mandates can obviously drive away workers who prioritize work-life balance, avoiding commutes and associated costs, and who feel more productive working in a self-controlled environment. The study, however, points to additional reasons RTO mandates make some people quit.One reason cited is RTO rules communicating "a culture of distrust that encourages management through monitoring." The researchers noted that Brian Elliott, CEO at Work Forward and a leadership adviser, described this as the "weakest form of managementand one that drives down employee engagement" in a November column for MIT Sloan Management Review.Indeed, RTO mandates have led to companies like Dell performing VPN tracking, and companies like Amazon, Google, JP Morgan Chase, Meta, and TikTok reportedly tracking badge swipes, resulting in employee backlash.The new study also pointed to RTO mandates making employees question company leadership and management's decision-making abilities. We saw this with Amazon, when over 500 employees sent a letter to Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman, saying that they were "appalled to hear the non-data-driven explanation you gave for Amazon imposing a five-day in-office mandate."Employees are also put off by the drama that follows an aggressive RTO policy, the report says:An RTO announcement can be a big and sudden event that is distasteful to most employees, especially when the decision has not been well communicated, potentially triggering an immediate response of employees searching for and switching to new jobs.After Amazon announced it would kill remote work in early 2025, a study by online community Blind found that 73 percent of 2,285 Amazon employees surveyed were considering looking for another job in response to the mandate.A wave of voluntary terminationsThe paper points to reasons that employees may opt to stay with a company post-RTO mandates. Those reasons include competitive job markets, personal costs associated with switching jobs, loyalty, and interest in the collaborative and social aspects of working in-office.However, with the amount of evidence that RTO mandates drive employees away, some question if return-to-office mandates are subtle ways to reduce headcount without layoffs. Comments like AWS's Garman reportedly telling workers that if they don't like working in an office, "there are other companies around" have fueled this theory, as has Dell saying remote workers can't get promoted. A BambooHR survey of 1,504 full-time US employees, including 504 HR managers or higher, in March found that 25 percent of VP and C-suite executives and 18 percent of HR pros examined "admit they hoped for some voluntary turnover during an RTO."Yesterday, President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to do away with a deal that allowed the Social Security Administration's union to work remotely into 2029 and that those who don't come back into the office will "be dismissed." Similarly, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump announced will head a new Department of Government Efficiency, wrote in a November op-ed that "requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome."Helen D. (Heidi) Reavis, managing partner at Reavis Page Jump LLP, an employment, dispute resolution, and media law firm, previously told Ars that employees "can face an array of legal consequences for encouraging workers to quit via their RTO policies." Still, RTO mandates are set to continue being a point of debate and tension at workplaces into the new year.Scharon HardingSenior Product ReviewerScharon HardingSenior Product Reviewer Scharon is Ars Technicas Senior Product Reviewer writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer technology, including laptops, mechanical keyboards, and monitors. Shes based in Brooklyn. 73 Comments

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) believes that China, Russia, Iran, and Israel are the primary countries exploiting security holes in telecommunications networks to spy on people inside the United States, which can include tracking their physical movements and intercepting calls and texts, according to information released by Senator Ron Wyden.The news provides more context around use of SS7, the exploited network and protocol, against phones in the country. In May, 404 Media reported that an official inside DHSs Cybersecurity Insurance and Security Agency (CISA) broke with his departments official narrative and publicly warned about multiple SS7 attacks on U.S. persons in recent years. Now, the newly disclosed information provides more specifics on where at least some SS7 attacks are originating from.The information is included in a letter the Department of Defense (DoD) wrote in response to queries from the office of Senator Wyden. The letter says that in September 2017 DHS personnel gave a presentation on SS7 security threats at an event open to U.S. government officials. The letter says that Wyden staff attended the event and saw the presentation. One slide identified the primary countries reportedly using telecom assets of other nations to exploit U.S. subscribers, it continues.

Leaf It Out, MateMy game of the year is Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree because, yes, of course you're are allowed to choose DLCIt's my game of the year, I'll choose whatever I like, thanks.Image credit: VG247 Article by James Billcliffe Guides Editor Published on Dec. 17, 2024 The best expansions are unmistakably grounded in their base game, but take all of their strongest ideas and distill them down into a more refined, self-contained experience which not only celebrates everything that made the original great, but takes it just that little bit further, too.Shadow of the Erdtree is not just the phenomenal, lore-drenched, soul-sucking Elden Ring experience you know in the present, but an homage to FromSoftwares past and glimpse into its future as well.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. It all begins in true Souls style, with one of this years best horror moments followed by a legacy dungeon that could come from anywhere in FromSoftwares storied back-catalogue - packed to the rafters with hidden ambushes, unfair fights and a cataclysmic boss battle to top it all off.But, as you reveal the undiscovered secrets of the universe in a labyrinthine warren of secret tunnels and passageways that belie the regions true, incredible scale, its the gothic ambiance of The Lands of Shadow that steals the show. This is yet another special FromSoftware setting, contained within another special FromSoftware setting: Fromception.Crucially though, this is also one of FromSoftwares most forthright narratives - certainly in a Souls game - but that does nothing to dampen the mystery and ethereal wonder of the locations you visit and characters you meet. Its this story-telling evolution that makes Shadow of the Erdtree essential in its own right, as well as an absolutely stellar addition to the base game of Elden Ring (obviously a GOTY contender in its own right, too, of course). Don't lose your thread. | Image credit: VG247Shadow of the Erdtree is easily one of the most memorable, exciting, and engrossing things to drop this year, and can be hewn alongside The Shivering Isles, Phantom Liberty, and Undead Nightmare on the Mount Rushmore of great video game DLCs.In fact, we've got a podcast dedicated to this very topic: Which expansions are better than the main game? From The Shivering Isles to Toussaint, some downloadable content is worth every penny. Twice. The fact that Shadow of the Erdtree quickly and effortlessly adds itself to these iconic names says it all, really; in a year of incredibly strong, memorable games, it's an expansion that really lodges itself in my head as we tiptoe into 2025.

Rider!Warframe does it again, turning another mobility bug into a permanent featureMotorbikes weren't meant to be used in non-Warframe 1999 missions. But fun comes first!Image credit: Digital Extremes News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on Dec. 17, 2024 Almost a decade ago, Warframe players were using weapons like The Tipedo to send themselves flying through the air at ludicrous speeds. This turned the mobility game on its heads, allowing folks with the dexterity to do so to quickly soar through levels. Digital Extremes, rather than remove this bug, made it a feature. Now, with Warframe 1999, it seems a similar revolution in the mobility game has happened again.This is all thanks to the motorbike, a summonable bit of gear that allows players to jump on their own personal two-wheeled vehicle at will. This is meant to be only usable in new Warframe 1999 missions - a way to quickly traverse the sprawling city recently added to the game. However, players quickly learned that you could summon this in missions outside of this new content, allowing for vehicular speeds where it is absolutely not intended.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Announced in-game, as well as on the official Warframe Reddit, the team has seemingly decided to let things ride. Megan Everett, the Warframe community director, provided some additional info on what will be fixed to make the whole situation works. This includes this leniency not applying to other traversal vehicles, not being able to use the motorbike in Archwing missions (as bikes can't fly, duh), and any gamebreaking issues stemming from this decision being fixed in due time.It's a wonderful decision, honestly. When Warframe actually embraced bullet jumping it added a whole new layer to the game, forcing players to master movement skills to really make the most out of their time. It also allowed for greater verticality. One wonders if boss fights like the Ropalolyst would even be possible without this decision. The choice to make motorbikes usable in regular missions opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities.Let us know what you think about this? Do you appreciate this decision? Or is it all a bit too much? Let us know below!

Fallen-on-and-OnIf you can believe it, Lords of the Fallen is still getting patches that change its combat this many months after launchOver a year after its initial release, the devs behind Lords of the Fallen continue to tweak some of its most fundamental aspects.Image credit: CI Games News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on Dec. 17, 2024 Remember Lords of the Fallen? Not the original 2014 game, the sequel that came out in October last year and was fairly divisive. The games developer, Hexworks, never really stopped working on it.Very quickly after launch, patches started arriving to address some severe stuttering and performance issues, and fix some crucial bugs. Once the bulk of that work was over, Hexworks turned its gaze to some of the core issues in combat, difficulty, and progression.The developer changed some much, in fact, it ended up giving players the tools to essentially balance the game themselves, but what we all thought was the games final patch ended up being just another one in a long list of them.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Just days ago, Lords of the Fallen received its 1.7 update. Though a smaller patch that added support for PS5 Pro was released prior, 1.7 is among the more major, gameplay-changing patches the game has received.Now, over a year on from the moment Lords of the Fallen first arrived, the developer is once again attempting to tweak the gameplay feel. More specifically, the patch improves character control and responsiveness in combat by tweaking animations to allow for more invincibility frames, more accurate dodges/rolls, and even more accurate animation cancelling.Hexoworks said the goal of the update is to make the game more accessible to new players, while increasing the skill ceiling for veterans who know what theyre doing. Are heavy weapons going to feel less awkward now?This patch also comes with a couple of quality of life tweaks of its own, including the ability for your character to automatically collect Vigor, and balance tweaks to New Game Plus. Another feature new players should appreciate is being able to summon NPCs in boss fights on a first try, and theyre going to be more effective, tooEven more surprising is that it sounds like 1.7 may not be the end of the road for Lords of the Fallen, either. Despite a sequel having been confirmed, more work will seemingly continue to go into the current game. If the changes in the new update intrigue you, the game is currently 60% off on Steam, until December 19.

The best Switch games for your little ones.We've given this list a big spruce up ahead of the Festive season so you can prepare for some holiday gaming with the family!Nintendo Switch is a console with brilliant software for gamers young and old. Nintendo's wholesome, family-friendly image is well-earned, and with characters like Mario, Luigi, and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom gang, Switch games cater to the young and the young-at-heart alike.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: The Pokmon CompanyOne of the most complicated parts of a new card game, digital or otherwise, is knowing which cards to pursue en route to building a competitive deck. For Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket, what decks you should run highly depends on which cards youve pulled as there are so many.To help you start building to be the very best, weve put together a tier list, along with a handful of budget-friendly and top-tier decks to help you get your PokFooting.Plenty of cards in these decks can be subbed out until you pull the cards required, so dont fret. In other words, if you only have one Marowak EX rather than the suggested two just sub in a regular Marowak or another set of Fighting-type cards until you pull the card you want.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube Note: This list has been updated to include the Mythical Island mini expansion set of cards and to reflect the current meta.On this page: Pokmon TCG Pocket: Tier List & Best DecksPokmon Trading Card Game Pocket Tier List (Mythical Island)Image: The Pokmon CompanyBelow are what we believe are the most viable decks in Pokmon TCG Pocket as of the Mythical Island expansion, ranked by Tiers. S Tier is obviously the best, followed by other extremely good decks in A-Tier and below.For each deck, we've included the main win condition alongside a key support card or an alternate win condition to make it easier to understand what cards youll need and how the deck functions at a glance.S TierThe S Tier decks are the best decks right now in Pokemon TCG Pocket. The two we've listed are both consistent and powerful, proving tough to beat even with a perfect draw.Much of the meta is centred around beating these decks, and if the list your running isnt prepared for them, you wont stand a chance unless you draw very well and they draw abysmally.A TierImage: The Pokmon CompanyFor the A Tier decks, these are close to S Tier in that they're either consistent or powerful, but they're not both. You may have to retreat early when you dont get a key support card or flip heads and tails, or you may have lots of options but sometimes fall a little short when up against more aggressive lists.In short, they can stand up against S Tier with a little bit of luck.B TierB Tier decks are strong but will often fall to S Tier decks before their game plan comes to fruition. They require several evolution stages or stalling tactics until you can fully power up your main win condition with multiple types of energy.However, these B Tier decks can usually stand up against A Tier decks and have good matchups against some of them.Blastoise EX & MistyNintetails & BlaineMarowak EX & SandslashWigglytyff EX & WeezingGreninja & WeezingC TierDespite being bottom of our Tier List, the C Tier decks will find their fair share of wins but are hampered by more than one bad matchup from either the S or A Tiers.Otherwise, they may provide direct counters to some of the most popular decks at the expense of losing against most others.Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket - All Packs & ExpansionsWe have a list of all Booster Pack expansions added to Trading Card Game Pocket since its release. We've grouped these by title, and when they were released.Genetic Apex (Mewtwo, Pikachu, Charizard)Mythical Island (Mew)Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket - Best TCG Pocket Budget Decks (Genetic Apex)Below, we've got the best decks for those on a budget, or for those who perhaps don't want to spend money (understandably!) but still build a competitive deck.Marowak EX/Sandslash DeckImage: The Pokmon CompanyThe easiest way to put this deck together is to select the Mewtwo pack upon starting a new account as youll obtain several of the cards required, including one Marowak EX card.With this deck, you want to get Marowak EX out early. Its attack, Bonemerang, requires only two Fighting Energy and deals 80 damage for each head you flip. It inherently makes this deck a gamble as you can hit two tails and deal no damage, but you can also burst down opposing EX Pokemon extremely quickly.Want our recommendation for the best Marowak EX deck? Our guide will be able to help there. Get ready to whack your way to victory if you can flip headsExeggutor EX/Pinsir DeckActing as an alternative to the Venusaur EX deck, Exeggutor EX is an incredibly cheap and powerful card as it can use Tropical Swing for only one Leaf Energy. Tropical Swing does 40 damage and 40 more damage if you flip heads. You'll want the Erika trainer card and the Pinsir card, too.This is a great beginner's deck, especially if you want to work toward a Venusaur EX list, which is one of the better decks in the game. We've covered how to put this together in our Venusaur EX guide.Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket - Best Overall TCG Pocket DecksRegardless of budget, below we've got a couple of the current best decks in Pokmon TCG Pocket.Pikachu EX/Zapdos EX DeckImage: The Pokmon CompanyStick to opening Genetic Apex Pikachu packs to pull Pikachu EX and Zapdos EX.While debatable, many agree that the Pikachu EX/Zapdos EX Deck is the current best deck in the game. Pikachu EX will deal 90 damage if you have a full bench for only 2 energy with Circle Circuit. Zapdos EX, on the other hand, can deal 200 damage with Thundering Hurricane if you manage to flip heads four times. Voltorb and Electrode serve as great substitutes until you get the ball rolling with your EX cards.For help putting this deck together, check out our guide on how to put together the Pikachu EX Deck. A shocking way to playStarmie EX/Articuno EX DeckYoull want to open Genetic Apex Charizard packs until you pull two Starmie EX before moving to Genetic Apex Mewtwo packs to hunt for two Articuno EX.Starmie EX is very straightforward but powerful: with only two Water Energy you can deal 90 damage, two-shotting most opposing EX Pokemon while taking out most Basic Pokemon in a single hit. Articuno EX is a great backup as you can deal damage to your opponents bench with Blizzard in order to soften them up for Starmie.If you want to try out the Starmie EX deck, we've got some tips, along with how to put together this fantastic deck, in our Starmie EX guide. Get your swimsuit its time to splish & splash your way to victoryDragonite/Articuno DeckFor this deck youll want to open Genetic Apex Mewtwo packs for both Dragonite and regular Articuno.This is the only higher-tier deck that doesnt utilize EX cards as Dragonite is powerful enough without an EX. Do note that you will want to have both Lightning Energy and Water Energy selected for this deck, as Dragonite requires one of each for Draco Meteor, which deals 50 damage randomly across your opponents entire board.If you want to try something a bit different, then we've got a guide on how to build the best Dragonite deck in Pokmon TCG Pocket. Big orange Barney can totally ruin your opponents days.And those are the current best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Furthermore, the game is relatively young and other more powerful decks may emerge before long so dont hesitate to experiment! Mewtwo, Pikachu, or Charizard I chooseuhh, hang on a secondUp Next: Genetic ApexShare:170 About a decade ago, Lowell moved to Japan for a year or two but is still there, raising a Shiba Inu named Zelda with his wife while missing access to good burritos. He also has a love/hate relationship with Japanese role-playing games. 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A U.S. court ruled in August that Google has a search monopoly, and while Google appeals, the Justice Department is figuring out what kind of potential penalties to impose like breaking off Chrome.As part of this process, the DOJ wants to call on a specific witness, according to a recent court filing: Dmitry Shevelenko, chief business officer of Perplexity, an AI search provider most recently valued at $9 billion, per Reuters.Perplexity and other generative AI tools like OpenAIs ChatGPT Search have emerged as a potential replacement for searching the internet, as they can offer direct answers to complicated queries (albeit, sometimes with made-up or inaccurate information). Google has responded to the threat with its own AI search tools, such as AI Overviews, which provide AI-generated answers above search results. The DOJ wants to ask Shevelenko about generative AIs relationship with Search Access Points, distribution, barriers to entry and expansion, and data sharing. Search access points is a term the DOJ uses to describe things like Google Chrome places where people go to search the internet.While the filing doesnt spell out exactly why the DOJ wants to ask Perplexity about these topics, it could help its argument that Google monopolizes the search business and closes out potential competitors, and thus deserves stronger penalties.TechCrunch asked Perplexity whether it has agreed to have its executive testify and for its thoughts on the antitrust case. Perplexity didnt respond immediately to a request for comment, and neither did Google.Perplexity is effectively caught in the middle of the dispute, as both sides want information from it that could help their cases. Google subpoenaed Perplexity in October for company documents to make its own case that it has viable competition in the search field. (Google subpoenaed Microsoft and OpenAI as well.)However, Perplexity has yet to provide a single document to Google as of December 11, the tech giant lamented in a court filing, claiming that there is no conceivable justification for further delay after two months of waiting.For its part, Perplexity says in the filing that it has already agreed to fulfill 12 out of Googles 14 document requests but is still evaluating the burden associated with collecting such a potentially expansive universe of documents.Perplexity also says that while it has agreed to provide copies of licensing agreements related to AI training, Google wants all of Perplexitys licensing agreements and that it has asked Google to meet and confer about this.

Its been a wild week for investors clawing their way intoDatabricks record-breaking $10 billion fundraising, one of the VCs leading the deal told TechCrunch.There were calls that went well late into the night, and thats okay, thats how good opportunities emerge, George Mathew, managing director at Insight Partners, described with a grin. Along with new investor Thrive, Joshua Kushners firm, Insight was one of the six firms that led the deal. All but Thrive were existing investors.We worked to make sure that we could be a co-lead, despite being already an investor on the cap table, Mathew said. Insight first invested in Databricks in 2021. But to get into this enormous deal, Insight had to tap into the Insight Partners Public Equities fund, which was set up to buy public stocks, under managing director John Wolff.There was so much rabid interest that the allocation and valuation rose fast. In mid-November, the deal was on track to be around $8 billion, Reuters reported at the time. A few days later, it was $9.5 billion at a $60 billion valuation, and by Tuesday, it had closed at $10 billion with a $62 billion valuation.For perspective, this is bigger than OpenAIs $6.6 billion raise in October, the largest venture round of all time.There was so much institutional demand and interest for a generational company, Mathew said. Ive been an investor at Insight for the last four years on all things related to data, AI, ML. This is the thing I live for.The investment involved a large secondary tender offer, where Databricks employees or other existing investors can sell shares. New preferred shares were issued to the new investor. Databricks didnt specify how much of the raise was secondary, except to call the $10 billion nondilutive, which implies a good chunk.Interestingly, Databricks, founded in 2013, could have been a tragic tale. A decade ago its founders created a technology, Spark, that was key to yesteryears big data trend. Spark helped enterprises analyze their in-house big data super fast.With the rise of data hosted in the cloud, the company was processing data, then handing it over to other players. It could have found itself slowly relegated to an irrelevant big data feature.Databricks co-founder and CEO Ali Ghodsi (pictured) sought out advice from Mathew, who had run big data company Alteryx as COO before becoming a VC. The two had been friends since Databricks early days.Ali called me a few years ago and said, Hey, Im thinking about going into the data warehousing market. And I just said, Thats the stupidest idea Ive ever heard. And I could not have been more wrong, Mathew laughs, adding hes glad Ghodsi didnt listen to him, nor hold his bad advice against him.At the time, traditional data warehouse vendors which store vast amounts of enterprise data used for analytics were also struggling against the likes of rising cloud stars like Snowflake and products owned by the cloud vendors, like AWS Redshift.But in late 2020, Databricks launched its data warehouse product anyway Databricks SQL and quickly became a big Snowflake competitor.Then came large language models (LLMs), which are continuously thirsty for high-quality enterprise data. Where is this high-quality data coming from? For the enterprise, its going to come from a place like Databricks, Mathew said.Flash forward to the end of 2024, with an IPO market still locked and investors dying to get a piece of AI infrastructure products, like data warehouses that can serve LLMs.Databricks says that by the end of its fiscal fourth quarter, it will be on a $3 billion revenue run rate, with a $600 million revenue run rate for Databricks SQL, up 150% for the year.