I'm in my third week at a new practice and we're looking at streamlining our PAL options. They've been using a lot of Hoya product in recent years, but one of our strong possibilities is a lab specializing Shamir product. I'm coming in from a Varilux-focused practice, so these are lens manufacturers I know primarily by reputation. Can I get some input on these two manufacturers and their designs? We do a lot of EyeMed and VSP business, for context, and much of the client base is Gen-Xers in a very tech- and finance-focused community.

(Please keep the inevitable managed-care and Essilor bashing to a minimum, or better yet in another thread.)