Mike Hale (MH): When was IOT founded and where is it based?
Carolina Gago (CG): IOT was founded in 2005 in Madrid, Spain, due to the realisation that there was a very specific opportunity at that point. Free-form technology would allow laboratories to have their own portfolio of digital designs and adapt it to their own needs with total freedom, without having to depend on traditional lens suppliers. IOT began positioning itself as a specialist in digital lens designs offering ultra-flexible lens design software and a wide range of options never seen before. IOT also innovated in terms of business model by betting on private label in ophthalmic lenses. Laboratories began to launch their own private label lenses. This did not exist until that moment in our industry.
We currently have our headquarters in Madrid and an advanced innovation centre located in Madrid Science Park (FPCM). In 2009, IOT partnered with Younger Optics, which is based in California and where IOT America was founded that same year.
MH: Can you describe what the company currently does?
CG: Our purpose lies in helping our customers – laboratories and optical groups – to create and deliver the best lenses in the world. Through our partners, there are around 35 million lenses produced annually incorporating IOT technology. Through creativity, team expertise and innovation, we develop ideas into premium quality products. We take a concept for, let’s say a progressive design, and we develop it, test it with our own clinical trials team, improve it where necessary and then assist with the marketing and brand development aspects at launch. This helps our partners to offer their customers premium own brand products. Our portfolio includes digital lens designs, photochromics and anti-reflective coatings.
MH: What is your background in optics?
CG: I am proud to say that I am an optometrist. For years, I worked as an optometrist in an independent optical store. That experience was very relevant in my career with IOT as it allowed me to acquire a good perspective of the optical business from its core and helped me to understand first-hand the needs and challenges faced by eye care professionals (ECPs) day-to-day.
MH: What has been your path at IOT to your current position of general manager?
CG: I have been very fortunate to have worked in different departments within IOT, performing very different roles. I started working as an optometrist characterising progressives. Later, I worked as a support technician in Europe immersing myself in the laboratory business. A few years later, I moved into the position of business development and marketing consulting for North America, which gave me a better global vision and enabled me to learn more about the commercial side of optical businesses. Therefore, with change after change, I acquired a comprehensive vision of the business and its operations.
MH: What is the company’s involvement in the UK market?
CG: We work with a significant number of laboratories in the UK that usually market their products under their own brand, not ours. Many opticians may not be aware of us, but they have probably dispensed a lens that was created with IOT technologies. Our support at practice level is more indirect – we provide our laboratory partners with the knowledge and materials to communicate the benefits of IOT technology and we provide access to our specialist teams who are able to help in all manner of ways; from creating specific designs for a particular need to assisting with dispensing queries where a practitioner needs technical guidance on lens selection.
MH: What technologies does IOT offer that make the biggest difference in practice?
CG: I would highlight IOT Digital Ray-Path 2 technology that has changed the digital lens personalisation paradigm by incorporating the user’s ability to accommodate in the optimisation of lenses. This technology corrects aberrations to give ultimate clarity, and enables ECPs to differentiate with a premium offering, which is available across all lens types. On the other hand, Steady Methodology is IOT’s exclusive, patented method of designing progressive lenses where, in addition to controlling the level of astigmatism on the sides of the corridor, we also control the level of peripheral spherical power that positively impacts the static and dynamic patient’s visual quality. Designs with Steady Methodology deliver greatly reduced swim and sway for maximum wearer comfort. ECPs can recommend this technology with confidence that their patients will notice the difference and return to them for the next pair of spectacles.
MH: What are IOT’s current priorities?
CG: We have just launched a whole new collection of lens designs, based on the input of hundreds of users and it incorporates our most advanced technologies. The top priority for us this year is to help our customers boost their own brand, elevating it to the top of the competition. For this, we have reinforced our teams and services to give an even more personalised and agile support to our partners. We hope that very soon hundreds of opticians in the UK will be able to offer these products and make a competitive leap.
MH: How does IOT approach innovation?
CG: Innovation is the heart of our activity and extends in all areas of the company and our team culture. We have a transversal innovation ecosystem based on talent and creativity accompanied by a strong investment. Lens users are the key to the system. Through rigorous and constant clinical studies, every year we run more than 20 annual clinical trials, more than 600 participants, patients and ECPs test all our technologies so their feedback guides us throughout the process in a never-ending iterative process.
MH: IOT are sponsoring the Dispensing Suite at ABDO College. What will this involve?
CG: Part of our mission is to positively impact the progress of the optical community through continuing professional development. This is especially relevant today where we sometimes find incoherent product information with features that are not even linked to elementary optical and optometric concepts. The IOT Dispensing Suite already has some educational posters where students can learn about the impact corridor length has on progressive design, our unique Endless Drive configuration that highlights the research into night myopia, and details on why the variable base curve of Camber Steady Plus is such a successful design. Moving forward, as well as refreshing the existing elements regularly, we will also be installing a lens display.
MH: Any future plans that you can share with us?
CG: We aspire to create extraordinary products and technologies that drastically surpass those we know today, creations that can lead a revolution and add high value to laboratories, ECPs and patients. Our future plans are aimed at achieving this. Currently our most ambitious future goal is to revolutionise lens manufacturing to make it a much more efficient and ecological process by using 3D printing technology. We ask ourselves questions. What would be the optimal performance of a photochromic lens? What’s the next step to the traditional personalised lenses? What is beyond freeform?
Mark Robertson, head of manufacturing at Caledonian Optical, on working with IOT
Caledonian Optical is a fully comprehensive laboratory that manufactures a wide portfolio of conventional and freeform digital lenses. We have complete control over all production, including anti-reflection coating. When we decided to invest in digital surfacing equipment around 2010, we looked at companies that could provide the lens designs we were looking for, in order to manufacture our own range of lenses. We felt IOT would be the best fit for us.
IOT has been incredible to work with. From the very start, when we were new to digital surfacing, they have been there to support us all the way. They are always available to provide technical support, marketing and training. We have built a very close bond with IOT, with the highlight being in 2018 when our ARC Steady lens, which uses the Camber and Steady Methodology, won lens product of the year and IOT was able to attend the event and celebrate with us.
From IOT, Camber technology and Steady Methodology have been the most important for us, as we feel it is the perfect combination for manufacturing class leading varifocals. Digital Ray Path has also been very key to providing sharp vision and clarity across our lens portfolio. We have also just introduced Digital Ray Path 2 and Steady Plus Methodology into our new ultra HD range, and have been amazed by the incredible feedback from wearers.
As an independent lab, IOT has given us the platform to offer our clients an alternative to the major lens brands, without compromising on quality. Their design portfolio provides solutions for a wide range of visual needs, so we can provide our customers patients with the best options. Not requiring to outsource these lenses, also allows us to provide competitive pricing, which helps our clients margins, and IOT’s continuing development in technology, means our clients will have the best options to keep up with their competitors.
