LaCie's 4big and 5big Product Range Win
Big Recognition from iF Design GmbH

February 27, 2009

LaCie announced today that it has received a 2009 iF product design award for its 4big and 5big product range – design by Neil Poulton – from the Germany-based International Forum Design GmbH (iF).

For the 2009 iF design award, judges chose from over 2,800 entries that were submitted from 39 countries. The criteria for winning an iF product design aw ard consists of design quality, workmanship, choice of materials, degree of innovation, environmental friendliness, functionality, ergonomics, visualization of use, safety, brand value, branding and aspects of universal design. LaCie's 4big and 5big product range were among the products selected for excellent design.

"We continue to receive great praise for the performance and capabilities of the 4big Quadra and 5big Network," said Olivier Mirloup, LaCie Hard Disk Solutions Business Unit Manager. "Now, we are pleased to add these products to a growing list of LaCie solutions that are not only recognized for functionality, but innovation and design as well."

LaCie 4big Quadra is the most complete 4-bay RAID data attached storage solution with capacities up to 6TB (6000GB). It is ideal for small and medium offices that need large storage and backup capacity, high-performance and advanced security. Acclaimed by creative professionals, the 4big Quadra features four hot-swappable drives and seven RAID modes, including RAID 0 and RAID 5, for high-speed and security demanding applications. Its universal connectivity (with eSATA 3Gbits/s, FireWire 400 & 800, and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interfaces) also helps to ensure maximum compatibility with any Mac or PC.

Similar by design, the LaCie 5big Network – available up to 7.5TB (7500GB) – leverages a Gigabit Ethernet connection, and features five hot-swappable drives supporting seven RAID modes, including RAID 5 and RAID 6. The 5big Network supports browser-based access and includes a management system that allows users to quickly set up the 5big Network to share, store, and access data without taxing the bandwidth of a central server. Additionally, this solution features Active Directory Support (ADS) for easy integration into Windows-based networks and a Wake-on-LAN function, indispensable features for IT managers.

iF will showcase the 4big Quadra, 5big Network and a number of award-winning products at the "design: driving innovation 09" special exhibition at CeBIT, which opens on March 3-8, 2009, in Hannover, Germany.

About Neil Poulton
Neil Poulton was born in Thurso, Scotland. A graduate in Industrial Design from Edinburgh University and Milan's Domus Academy, Poulton first came into public view in 1989 as the creator of "the ageing pens," pens made from a "living," wearing plastic that changes color and form with use. Today, Neil Poulton designs and develops best-selling, award-winning products for a variety of international clients including LaCie and Artemide. Since 1991, Poulton has lived and worked in Paris, France. www.neilpoulton.com