Intel Dives Deeper in Wearables with Luxottica Deal
Intel, fresh off a Google deal to replace Texas Instruments' chips in the next generation of Glass, is diving even deeper into wearables with a multi-year research and development collaboration with Italian eyeglass giant Luxottica.
Intel (INTC), fresh off a Google (GOOG) deal to replace Texas Instruments’ (TI) chips in the next generation of Glass, is diving even deeper into wearables with a multi-year research and development collaboration with Italian eyeglass giant Luxottica to deliver a range of smart, fashion-conscious eyewear.
The deal could elevate the smart wearables stature of both companies with Intel positioning itself as a fashion-aware technology provider and Luxottica as an eyewear giant in step with technology.
Indeed, Intel and Luxottica already have taken significant steps in those directions. Intel is working with fashion accessories specialist Fossil and is set to begin selling its Mica luxury smart bracelet, while Luxottica is manufacturing and distributing frames for Google Glass.
Intel and Luxottica said the first product springing from their collaboration will show up sometime in 2015. Their agreement, in the works for some two years, calls for a team of specialists from both companies to develop eyewear technologies suitable for a variety of brands, the New York Times reported.
“Through our collaboration with Luxottica Group, we will unite our respective ecosystems and bring together Intel’s leading-edge silicon and software technology with Luxottica’s design innovation and consumer expertise,” said Brian Krzanich, Intel chief executive. “We expect the combination of our expertise to help drive a much faster pace of innovation and push the envelope of what’s possible.”
Massimo Vian, Luxottica chief executive, called the Intel deal an opportunity to “shape the future of eyewear.” He said the partnership will yield “frames that are as intelligent and functional as they are beautiful.”
In Luxottica’s March deal with Google, the company, which owns the Oakley and Ray Ban brands among others, will help design, manufacture and distribute frames for Glass, collaborating with Google to craft frames tailored to the technology. That arrangement is intended to help blunt the impression that Glass is a niche product only for techies and that it’s fundamentally a business product.
Vian told the New York Times that Luxottica’s Intel deal does not conflict with the Google agreement.
“Google Glass is a specific product we are working on,” he said. “With Intel, we are researching new possibilities that can be applied or offered to many brands.”
Luxottica maintains some 5,000 retail stores in the United States, including LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut, and intends to peddle Glass through its outlets and opticians. For now, the deal is confined to the U.S. market.
