September poll results: What are your learning plans and goals in the months ahead?

In many places across the world — including around here at Devolutions HQ — September marks an annual migration of students back to the classroom, where they learn about the essentials and fundamentals of a successful life in today’s society (stuff like TikTok shortcuts, more ways to avoid cringe, the latest developments in the epic Kendrick vs. Drake battle, and so on).

Well, kids aren’t the only ones in learning mode. IT professionals are also increasing their knowledge. To dig deeper into this, last month we asked: What are your learning plans and goals in the months ahead? Let’s take a look at the responses!

#1: AI

The most popular learning goal among community members is increasing their knowledge about AI. This is certainly on trend. According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI survey, 78% of global respondents said their organization now uses AI in at least one business function, up from 72% in 2024 and 55% in 2023.

Here at Devolutions, we are embracing AI in several significant ways. For example, in Remote Desktop Manager 2025.1 we introduced the new AI Assistant: a powerful tool powered by Microsoft Semantic Kernel that helps with various tasks such as proofreading, translating, creating comments, generating and improving scripts, and more. Learn more about AI Assistant here.

AI learning resources

Here are some free learning resources that focus on various AI-related concepts:

• Kaggle: An AI platform that offers tutorials, datasets, and competitions for hands-on practice.
• Coursera: Several universities and organizations provide AI and cybersecurity on Coursera’s online learning platform.
• Hugging Face’s AI Agents Course: This is a comprehensive course on understanding and building AI agents. No prior knowledge of AI agents is necessary, so if you’re a beginner this might be the ideal place to start your learning journey.

#2: Python

Several community members are also planning to learn more (or should we say “moar” 😊) about Python in the weeks and months ahead. By the way: Did you know that Devolutions provides a Python SDK via GitHub, which enables you to build custom applications to access and manage entries (credentials, sessions, etc.) within your Devolutions Password Server instances? Check it out here.

Python learning resources

Here are some free learning resources that focus on Python:

• Learn Python the Hard Way: As we highlighted in our blog last month celebrating National Coding Week, Learn Python the Hard Way is acclaimed for helping total beginners learn how to read and write basic Python, and establish a foundation upon which to understand other books and resources. The course is available as a download or conventional book. While the course isn’t free, we’re still including it in our list because you can try the course at no cost to see if it’s a good fit for your learning style and needs. And if you decide to purchase it, the price is relatively low compared to some other courses on Python (currently around $30 USD for the digital or paper book version).
• CS50 Introduction to Programming with Python: This course from Harvard University covers fundamentals including functions, arguments, return values, exceptions — and more. There are multiple opportunities for hands-on learning, and the exercises are based on real-world programming problems. The course is free to audit on platforms like edX and through Harvard's OpenCourseWare (OCW).
• Python.org: This is the official Python website, which offers many tutorials along with a downloadable full Python interpreter.

#3: BI

Rounding out the three most popular learning topics among community members is BI. In the past, BI was typically limited to enterprises with complex reporting requirements and forecasting needs. However, in recent years a growing number of small and mid-sized businesses are leveraging BI to get a deeper understanding of their business and customer base, streamline operations, improve productivity, and exploit competitive advantages. As CIO.com advises: “Lean SMBs that can gather timely intelligence from the powerful BI platforms available today will steal a march over the competition by identifying opportunities and threats faster. They will know where to spend their money, how much to spend, and what outcomes to expect.”

BI learning resources

Here are some free learning resources that focus on BI:

• Great Learning Academy offers a free "Business Intelligence for Beginners" course with a certificate of completion. The course covers BI basics and includes case studies from various industries.
• Microsoft Learn provides multiple learning paths for its Power BI product, which include courses such as Getting Started with Copilot in Power BI, Managing Semantic Modules in Power BI, Enforcing Power BI Model Security, and more.
• LearnBI.online is a popular YouTube channel dedicated to demystifying BI for beginners and beyond. The channel’s creator Adam Finer explores topics like data analysis, data visualization, various BI platforms, and more.

Other learning plans and goals

Here are some other courses and topics that community members plan on exploring in the near future:

• AZ-800
• PostgreSQL
• Elasticsearch
• Microsoft Entra
• Firewall skills
• JavaScript skills
• Citrix uberAgent
• C#
• PowerShell

Don’t have a lot of time? We have you covered!

A few community members mentioned that Q4 is always an extremely busy time in their organization (we know the feeling!), and as such they don’t anticipate having the time in the weeks and months ahead to formally enroll in a class or course. Well, we have some good news!

Simply head on over to Devolutions Academy, which is our online learning platform that features in-depth courses, tailored learning paths, and quick tips to help you master Devolutions' suite of solutions and products.

Learning at Devolutions Academy FREE, FUN, FAST and FLEXIBLE. There’s no complex registration process, and you can move through courses and learning paths entirely at your pace, and on your schedule. And if you have questions or feedback (or just feel like chatting!), pop into the Devolutions Academy Community Forum to connect with Devolutions’ experts and your fellow learners.

The winners

To start with: You’re ALL winners, because you make continuous learning a top priority. As Henry Ford said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

Now, let’s announce the two lucky poll participants who have been randomly chosen to win a $25 Amazon gift card. Congratulations Res and Wouter Kursten! Please email asguerin@devolutions.net to claim your prize.

October is here, and that means a new poll question is on the way. Stay tuned!