Carlo Privitera.

MILAN— Luxottica Group S.p.A. (NYSE: LUX), announced that it is launching a new open digital platform along with the formation of an Industry Consultancy Panel (ICP) to help guide and shape the offering to the North American market.

The “Luxottica E-Comm & Digital Innovation Laboratory,” which was created in parallel with the acquisition, as reported by VMail earlier this year of Glasses.com is aimed at “providing new solutions for doctors who wish to offer an enhanced online eyewear experience to their patients,” the company told VMail.​

“Luxottica believes these solutions will help doctors to compete effectively in the digital age thanks to the development and availability of high quality doctor driven websites that link the medical practice with the online world and ensure an enhanced consumer experience,” a statement read.

In collaboration with Luxottica’s wholesale division, Luxottica said it will be forming an Industry Consultancy Panel (ICP) to represent the optical market and noted, “The role of the ICP will be to evaluate potential digital solutions and provide recommendations to Luxottica on how to create a seamless omni-channel experience.”

“We are thrilled to announce today the establishment of these unique digital services and the exclusive online platform,” said Carlo Privitera, president of the Luxottica E-Comm & Digital Innovation Laboratory (LEDIL). “We are committed to leveraging Glasses.com for the betterment of the market and to offer accessible solutions for doctors who wish to offer an enhanced online eyewear experience to their patients.

“Our overall objective is to support the high quality of service and care that medical professionals provide with an equally high quality online experience while responding to today’s increasing demand from consumers. We believe that this initiative, which will be developed in partnership with key representatives from the market, will establish a new standard for eyewear online,” he added.

Luxottica expects that the initial testing of the platform could begin as early as Q4 2014.