‘Please pray for us,’ says Sridhar Vembu as Zoho skips pay hikes amid rising AI costs

Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu announced that due to sharply rising AI-related costs and a fourfold increase in server prices, the company will skip annual pay raises and cut marketing budgets to avoid layoffs amid a grim software job outlook. Zoho has not increased its employee count for 18 months and is undergoing reinvention to adapt to these challenges.