When POET decided not to go after anymore SBIR money it is was the turning point that said we are ready to go after the commercial side of the industry where the big money is and the huge market that it occupies. As such there was a lot of discussion about how to split the company into the military side and the non-military side. Up to this point one would have to say that POET has done a good job to leverage the military funding and relations that it provided with BAE but comes a time when the value available from those military applications can be monetized in an effort to support the non-military commercial applications of POET. Has that time come?
So in the big picture the military applications for POET represent a big opportunity to someone who is willing to deal with all the restrictions that come from highly confidential activities, restrictions and requirements associated with the US defense department. It could be a very big source of income and potentially could be in the form of a onetime cash injection that gives POET the equity they need for the NASDAQ and/or a shiny new lab? Who knows but the military side I think could occupy a lot of POETs focus that could otherwise be a distraction from the commercial market that is going to require all their energy.
