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ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-wish-list-from-microsoft8217s-big-customers-1391569943\nA Wish List From Microsoft's Big Customers\nMichael Hickins and\nMichael Hickins\nBiographyMichael Hickins\n@Michael_Curator\nFeb. 4, 2014 10:13 pm ET\nSome of Microsoft Corp. MSFT 0.56% 's biggest customers are looking to new CEO Satya Nadella to make the software giant more friendly to mobile devices and Internet-hosted software in what is known as \"the cloud.\"\nStuart Kippelman, chief information officer of Covanta Energy, said he'd like Microsoft to make its Office applications available on non-Microsoft phones and tablets, such as Apple's iPad. \"The first thing I would do is open Office\" to other devices, he said. \"People would pay for it.\"\nMr. Kippelman is among those attending The Wall Street Journal's CIO Network conference this week near San Diego. Other executives at the event said they hope Mr. Nadella will make licensing terms simpler, and invest in more user-friendly software.\nMr. Kippelman also said he'd like Microsoft to make its software cheaper and easier to manage. \"It costs a fortune to own,\" he said. \"They need to make it less expensive to own the software because of all the management stuff\" such as upgrades and security patches.\nNadella, a 22-year Microsoft veteran, would appear to be well situated to make progress in these areas. For the past three years, he's led the Microsoft group that develops technology used in corporate data centers, and increasingly, the cloud. In that role, he's become a leading internal advocate of Microsoft renting software to other companies, even when that competes with Microsoft's traditional offerings.\nAdriana \"Andi\" Karaboutis, chief information officer of Dell Inc., one Microsoft's key customers for putting its Windows operating system on computers, said Mr. Nadella understands how Microsoft needs to evolve to a world where users are more mobile and more computing is done in the cloud.\nWalgreen Co. CIO Tim Theriault, who uses Microsoft email and collaboration software in the cloud, said Microsoft must clarify its licensing strategy, which has grown complex, partly because of the introduction of cloud software, and make it easier for CIOs to understand.\n\"For them to grow and expand in the enterprise they're going to have to be easier and clearer on what their strategy is and how they can generate value,\" Mr. Theriault said. He said Microsoft \"boxes itself in\" by being \"stubborn\" with aggressive negotiating on pricing and enforcing compliance with respect to software licensing. \"That's a lot of frustration and it doesn't have to be.\"\nHe said picking an internal candidate was the right choice because it will help Microsoft define its strategic priorities, which will help customers know what to expect from the company. He has a \"wonderful opportunity\" to be clearer on business strategy and being easier to do business with.\nRobert M. Alexander, CIO of Capital One Financial Corp., who currently uses Microsoft's traditional email software but is considering switching to a cloud system, said Mr. Nadella's appointment suggests Microsoft will become more serious about the cloud. \"I think the destiny of most big companies is to run email and productivity tools in the cloud,\" Mr. Alexander said. \"Frankly, I don't want to be in the business of running email in house.\"\nMerv Adrian, a Gartner analyst, said Nadella's choice \"is a signal that Microsoft value engineering and is targeting visionary technology first.\"\nMr. Adrian also said Gates' choice to invest more of his time and Nadella's use of him as an adviser reinforces that the board and Nadella have agreed Microsoft needs to lead by technology innovation—\"it is their foundation and they are sticking with that.\"\n—Clint Boulton contributed to this article.\nWrite to Michael Hickins at michael.hickins@wsj.com\nU.S. Companies Fuel Europe’s Green-Energy Push\nSome of Microsoft Corp."