Fairchij: I think what it really means for POET is the opportunity for active optical cables has increased in the consumer market. Looks like Intel is providing that pathway.

Yes, absolutely, Fairchij! Intel has a Technology Brief on Thunderbolt, and what I like is that Thunderbolt defines the interface, but is otherwise technology-agnostic. That is, if POET wanted to implement its own Thunderbolt cable, that cable would have to look to the outside as specified by the standard (plugs, sockets, data packaging, timing protocol etc.), while on the inside they are free to implement everything as they please.

It's the same principle as with the datacenter optical connects: an optical cable and a POET transceiver at each end. The protocol is different and its implementation won't come for free, but it is doable of course.

And by replacing 6 chips in a transceiver by a single one at each end of a cable and considering the potential cost reductions, POET could indeed gain "some" market share.