SAS Viya for Learners Updated! An overview of what’s new in 2025.09LTS
The short version
SAS Viya for Learners – our free, cloud-based analytical platform for academics – has been upgraded to 2025.09LTS — the same long-term stable release used by SAS customers in production environments.
That’s intentional.
Our goal in SAS Academic Programs is simple: when students and educators learn SAS, they should be learning on the same modern analytics platform they’ll encounter in internships, research labs, and industry roles.
This overview article sets the stage for what’s new — and, more importantly, why those changes matter for teaching and learning analytics.
A quick reminder: how (and why) Viya keeps evolving
SAS Viya for Learners follows a continuous improvement / continuous delivery (CI/CD) model. Practically speaking, that means we expect:
- two upgrades per year (typically winter and summer), and
- regular alignment with SAS long-term stable (LTS) releases.
The 2025.09LTS update landed in early February and brings Viya for Learners in lockstep with what commercial SAS customers would be running if they applied the same LTS update.
Yes — a lot changed behind the scenes:
- Kubernetes upgrades
- infrastructure improvements
- performance and admin enhancements
But if you’re an end user (like me), you probably care about three things:
Is it fast?
Is it reliable?
And does it help me teach analytics better?
Good news: this update delivers on all three.
What you’ll notice right away (and what you won’t)
The most visible change is the updated SAS Landing Page, along with a refreshed color scheme in 2025.09LTS.
For example:
That means:
- some screenshots in existing course materials may look a little different
- yes, we’ll all slowly update those assets over time 😊
But those visual changes are not the real story.
The real story of 2025.09LTS is about:
- how analytics workflows are evolving
- how decisions are becoming first-class citizens
- and how security is quietly (but meaningfully) improving
Which brings us to the heart of this series.
The three changes that matter most for academics
Rather than trying to cover everything in one massive article, I broke this update into three focused deep dives, each tackling a change that directly impacts how we teach, learn, and practice analytics.
Part 1: Bye, Bye SAS Studio Tasks in SAS Viya
SAS Studio Tasks were a beloved on-ramp for learners — especially those new to SAS programming.
In this article, we:
- explain why Tasks are retiring in SAS Viya
- explore what that means for teaching
- and lay out clear paths forward (including Steps, Flows, and alternatives)
👉 This one is all about change — with purpose.
Read the full article here: https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/Part-1-Bye-Bye-SAS-Studio-Tasks-in-SAS-Viya/t...
Part 2: Hello SAS Intelligent Decisioning! And why academics should care…
Analytics education often stops at the model.
But real-world analytics doesn’t.
This article introduces SAS Intelligent Decisioning as a way to:
- connect models, rules, and data
- make decision logic explicit and teachable
- and help students move from “prediction” to “action”
👉 This one is about bridging analytics and decision-making.
Read the full article here: https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/Part-2-Hello-SAS-Intelligent-Decisioning-And-...
Part 3: GitHub Integration in SAS Studio — Now even more secure!
GitHub still works in SAS Studio — but the way credentials are handled has matured.
In this article, we:
- explain what changed with Git authentication
- show why the move to managed credentials matters
- and walk step by step through the updated setup
👉 This one is about security, professionalism, and real-world workflows.
Read the full article here: https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/Part-3-GitHub-Integration-in-SAS-Studio-Now-e...
The takeaway
Taken together, these updates signal something important:
SAS Viya for Learners isn’t just keeping up — it’s keeping pace with how analytics is actually done today.
The platform is evolving in ways that:
- mirror professional analytics environments
- encourage better habits
- and give educators stronger tools for teaching how analytics is actually practiced today
If you’re teaching with SAS Viya — or learning on it — this series is your guided tour through what’s new, what’s changing, and how to make the most of it in 2025.09LTS.
SAS Viya for Learners updated…
Let’s dive in.
