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An avuncular 42-year-old Yorkshireman he is given to pithy remarks about rivals

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An avuncular 42-year-old Yorkshireman, he is given to pithy remarks about rivals. While he was presenting last week's results he said he would rather "buy a barn in the country" than the struggling Dutch business software company Baan. But he is highly regarded by analysts for honesty and straightforwardness.And although he has held the top job for some time, the caution of his accountancy training shows through. At last week's proceedings he introduced what he called a "reality check", stressing that the company was not expecting its recent internet-related offerings to make money for some time. If that is in marked contrast to some of the pronouncements from dot companies, he is making no apologies.

It is a view based on Sage's knowledge of its 2.3 million small-business customers.Paying proper attention to customers has played a large part in the Sage success story. "Customer focus has become an over-used term," says Mr Walker. "But we tend to think we're customer-led, as opposed to being product-led. Many IT companies have been product-led and technology-led, and, to some extent, ignored what customers really needed.

We acknowledge that SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) need support. They need help and we need to research their needs."The company has taken this approach since its beginnings in the early 1980s. And Mr Walker believes the decision to keep the company based in Newcastle rather than move to a corporate tower in London helps keep the executives' feet on the ground - apart from allowing them enjoyably convenient commutes to work that rouse envy in the South-east. Mr Walker recently said the only day it does not take him seven minutes to get from his office to his wife and three young children is Friday - because he meets old friends in a pub for another exercise in keeping grounded.This understanding means Sage executives realise small business owners tend to be resistant to change. So they are not, for example, expecting them to rush to sign up for a product that enables them to do their accounting over the internet, especially in view of the widespread concern about the havoc caused by viruses, such as the "Love Bug".

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