Essilor Acquires Optifacts from Vision-Ease

**Steve Machol** · 01-23-2002, 10:58 AM

Interesting move on Essilor's part. Does this signal a major push into the Optical Software market?

Here's the link to the story on SightStreet:

http://www.sightstreet.com/shell.asp...cts_vm0122.htm

**Wes Trayner** · 01-23-2002, 05:57 PM

Steve,

This is in connection with Essilor's major interest in VisionWeb. Optifacts has been working closely with VisionWeb. I think that the major advantage of controlling a laboratory software company is in furtherance of the business plans for VisionWeb. VisionWeb plans to combine all of the ECP's ordering of everything they buy from frames to lenses to office supplies to be ordered through their website. (for a fee of course) I don't think they had a strong desire to be a software comapany.

Wes

**kjw1231** · 01-24-2002, 08:40 AM

Very interesting. They still do not have a front end to their system. How many people are willing to re-key the information to a website? With the pressure already in place upon the staff, who wants to add more work? If you have a POS or you hand write orders, isn't it easier just to drop it in a fax machine?

**Bev Heishman** · 01-29-2002, 10:53 PM

KJW.... I agree,

I was asked about this in July by Vision Web.
I use TNT and frankly I am preturbed to see this. We do not have time to rekey this info and I found it extremley slow on demo. It is reminiscent of VSP ordering which was cumbersome for the practice I was in several years ago.

I do not want to hire some one else to do so so obviously I am going to seriously rethink how I order and what direction I feel will best serve our company. We are remote tracing to the lab with TNT and it was working well. Maybe surfacing with a mini lab in the future. We tried our hands at casting and will not rethink.

**JRS** · 01-29-2002, 11:12 PM

What makes you think that someone won't complete the package by creating a front end for TnT?

**Bev Heishman** · 01-30-2002, 12:16 AM

Why should I wait for some one to front end? Why do I have to go through a clearinghouse as such where someone else knows my numbers or my buying trends to make a marketing move?

**brucekrymow** · 02-04-2015, 03:19 PM

Interesting to review this thread now, knowing that Essilor owns Optifacts, OMICS, VisionStar, Visual Lab Pro, Optifacts 02, and Optuitive.

**Speed** · 02-06-2015, 06:27 AM

Wes, Do you think they would use information gathered for any other reason than to service the LMS customers?

**MikeAurelius** · 02-06-2015, 07:50 AM

And the vertical integration continues. It's pretty much at the oligopoly stage now, how much longer until "E" is considered a monopoly?

**mervinek** · 02-06-2015, 09:11 AM

Aren't monopolies restricted in the US only? Perhaps the rules don't apply to companies like Essilor and Luxottica because they are not American companies? I often wondered about this.

**newguyaroundhere** · 02-06-2015, 10:41 AM

I think during my LC days that the Cole acquisition was held up due to possible concerns over being a monopoly....and we all know how that went

**MikeAurelius** · 02-06-2015, 12:07 PM

A monopoly is a monopoly. There have been many forced divestitures in the past. Essilor and Lux operate here in the US as US companies. The Justice Department could step in and require a "wall of separation" between the US and foreign-owned entities. If E-owned labs are getting discounts (for example) from E-owned suppliers that are not available to anyone else, the JD could reasonable file a lawsuit forcing a clean slate. IMO, and really, this is just my personal opinion, E is no longer an oligopoly, but verging on a near monopoly, especially in some regions of the US. If you look at their European model, they have almost complete vertical integration there. Here, that would be a basis for a monopoly buster to step and and break them up.