Today, LaCie, the premium brand from Seagate Technology plc, announced Rugged RAID, the latest product to join its line of iconic Rugged mobile hard drives. LaCie Rugged RAID features twice the speed and capacity of a standard mobile hard drive - all with the same Rugged portability and durability that enthusiasts have come to expect. It is also the only product in its class to feature hardware RAID 0 and 1, which lets professionals optimize the product for speed or data security according to their workflow - and use it on any Mac or PC.

When on a deadline, every second counts. The LaCie Rugged features Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 along with two internal hard drives that are preconfigured in hardware RAID 0 for sustained performance of up to 240 MB/s. With this speed, users can transfer 64 GB of content in less than five minutes, and even start to edit photos in the field with Adobe Lightroom. This time savings is key for field-based professionals who collect and move tons of data onto external storage.Professionals, especially photographers, face the challenge of keeping up with ever-increasing resolutions and file sizes. The LaCie Rugged addresses this challenge by featuring 4 TB in a compact footprint. With this capacity, the LaCie Rugged can store the equivalent of sixty 64 GB memory cards. This allows professionals to carry fewer drives while acquiring more photos, footage, and other types of content in the field.

The LaCie Rugged features RAID 1 (mirrored mode), which is where the data is duplicated across the two drives. So, even if a single drive fails in the field, the data remains accessible from the other drive. This is especially helpful to on-the-go professionals with limited laptop capacity. The LaCie Rugged can serve as the primary safe storage during travel. Even in the case of a single drive failure, data is protected.

For added data protection, the LaCie Rugged is resistant to shock, dust and water. It is tested to withstand drops* of up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) and 1 ton of pressure. With its cap in place, the LaCie Rugged is IP 54-rated for superior resistance to dust and water splashing - even during operation. So whether the LaCie Rugged RAID takes a jarring jeep ride, is buried under stacks of suitcases in the airplane cargo hold, or gets splashed during a tropical downpour, the data remains safe and accessible.

Portability is key, and professionals need their equipment to go and work anywhere. Powered through the Thunderbolt cable, the LaCie Rugged offers access to the data anywhere - no power outlet required. The integrated Thunderbolt cable ensures that the cable cannot be lost. Plus, with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0, it works with any standard computer.

The LaCie Rugged includes everything professionals need for secure backup in the field: a backup software suite and compatibility with Time Machine and Windows Backup. It also includes LaCie Private-Public software, which lets users password-protect the entire drive or only certain volumes with AES 256-bit encryption.

WARRANTY
The LaCie Rugged features a three-year limited warranty that can also be extended and upgraded. The included limited warranty provides comprehensive, complimentary web-based resources, expert in-house technical support, and worldwide repair and/or replacement coverage.

AVAILABILITY
The LaCie Rugged RAID, design by Neil Poulton, will be available in a 4 TB capacity (MSRP $449.99) this quarter through the LaCie Online Store and LaCie Resellers.