But at October’s Sage Transform keynote CEO Steve Hare’s very low-key presentation was heavy on facts—lots of information about specific products and plans. My comment to one Sage Intacct exec was that “Hare brings something Sage hasn’t always had,” “What’s that?” he asked. “An air of competency.” It’s probably not the complement most companies would appreciate, but anyone who has been through years of Sage restructuring, renaming, rebrandings, different channel leaders and different choices of strategic products will understand what I mean. It’s the first time in decades I had the feeling of Sage being well-positioned with a clear plan. It has some opportunities with some weaknesses—most of them not serious—on the part of competitors. But in a competitive market, it does not take much of an opening to have a chance for growth