Mack, re: "I don't expect news then until after the holidays". As much as I do temper my expectations to reduce any disappointment (I agree with you that this is a good idea), I would expect news before February. Not necessarily blockbuster news, but something. Our CEO did state "Between now and then, you’ll see more proof points from us." The "then" was referencing the update (more granularity) "right after the end of the calendar year".
So, I do think it is reasonable to expect something before "then".
Good luck!!