Poser needs "only" a smooth working interface to LuxRender. The main part of that is common for all external renders: Getting out the renderman based material node system to something other render engines can use. Sort of intermediate material description. 

Any 3DApplication with an interface to EPM (External Procedural Material) as mentioned by odf and BB, has an automatic option to extend their userbase by some ten thousend Poser users (and probably DS users, too) for each of the few 3D flagships.

LuxRender, as a free and Open Source render engine with a direct API, is the right one to show how it can work. At the end, inserting EPM into the own 3D-software is anything needed. A softtware company just has to have a (paid) license to do so and can request support to implement the cash-cow-interface.  Means: some money and probably a week of manpower for a new, extened software release.

Getting a Patent for EPM isn't  easy anymore. Because it is decribed here, it is "prior art". But I'm sure at least for the US it's possible to get one or more blocking patents (the "neuronal part" how to convert a bunch of nodes to one expressive material, for example).

For SM this means a breaktrough into professional 3D-market. Accompanied from their marketing engine SM are "the good people" without any cost for marketing/advertising.  Other will spread the word (and pay for advertising). For the investors it means: ROI by license selling and an extended market. Not only for Poser alone. SM's online-market will be extended by a lot of professional marketeers, advanced products and highly motivated costumers waving with their CC-cards.

So, all together an extreme "Win-Win" situation. What is it SM is waiting for?

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