I think the strategy is not to compete with IBM at first and there are plenty of potential clients out there. Banks and big government won't switch to trust a

I think the strategy is not to compete with IBM at first and there are plenty of potential clients out there. Banks and big government won't switch to trust a startup after working with IBM for twenty years. The risk of a failing startup and buyout is a real risk. Even should you do such transition, it will take a long time. Maybe for small components you can switch within months. I like PG's advise to startup founders: go out there, sell your product, do the necessary customer supports (do demo, train users, troubleshoot, etc) and stop the hype because big companies like IBM and VMWare can sell their product with ease. I think the right attitude is to start small, build the reputation and make progress.