Network attached storage expert Thecus is pleased to announce that the Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5" 5TB HDD is confirmed compatible with the entire Thecus NAS line. Early hands-on access to these high-capacity HDDs was made possible through Thecus's continued close relationship with Seagate.

With their 5TB breakthrough, Seagate Enterprise Capacity drives are among the highest-capacity drives available for enterprise-class purposes. And with enhanced efficiency thanks to PowerChoice host-selectable power options and robust performance coming from dual processors and ramp load technologies, the 35% average sustained increase of throughput over previous generations is almost palpable.

With their recent 5 TB breakthrough, Seagate Enterprise Capacity drives are among the highest-capacity drives available for enterprise-class purposes. This, along with offering impeccable reliability and power/performance standards, makes them ideal for business-critical, multi-drive server and storage environments - such as Thecus NAS systems. "Reaching the milestone of 5TB hard drive capacity is tremendous news for the storage industry. Seagate's reliability paired with Thecus's trusted technology is an undeniable edge for enterprises in need of large pools of data in energy efficient, high performance storage." - Florence Shih, Chairperson at Thecus Technology Corp.

Early, hands-on access to these high-capacity HDDs was made possible through Thecus's continued, close relationship with Seagate. After many hours of hard work with multiple devices in various environments, Thecus is happy to announce that the Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5" 5TB HDD is confirmed compatible with the entire Thecus NAS line. The new capacity limit is a game changer for enterprises which require a large pool of data. For example, if a 16-bay Thecus N16000PRO is fully loaded with 5TB disks, it can by itself store up to 80TB of data. Daisy Chaining technology furthermore allows you to connect an additional 4 Thecus D16000s (each with 16 bays) to a master N16000PRO. This results in a total of 400 TB worth of storage capacity.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced it is now shipping the world's fastest 6 TB hard disk drive (HDD) - the Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD v4. Boasting industry-leading performance, the Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD v4 is an important step forward in scale-out data infrastructures delivering supersize storage and enterprise reliability to meet the explosive growth of corporate and cloud-based data centers.

"Unstructured data growth is doubling exponentially and will propel the digital universe to reach 16 Zettabytes of data by as early as 2017. This will cause cloud service providers to look for innovative ways to store more within an existing footprint while lowering operational costs," said Scott Horn, Seagate vice president of marketing. "Seagate is poised to address this challenge by offering the fastest 6 TB enterprise capacity HDD based on our proven, reliable platform meeting this never-ending demand in both private and public cloud data centers."

LaCie, the premium brand from Seagate Technology, announced at the 2014 NAB Show three new storage solutions featuring Thunderbolt 2 technology. The LaCie 8big Rack, 5big and 2big feature industry-leading speeds and the latest 6TB hard drives from Seagate. This combination of speed and capacity make these products ideal for 4K workflows. Built-in hardware RAID keeps data safe, while cutting-edge industrial design delivers user efficiency and stunning appearance.

The LaCie 8big Rack Thunderbolt 2 is the company's first Thunderbolt 2 rackmount storage solution. Compact and stylish, the LaCie 8big Rack features up to eight 6 TB 7200 RPM hard drives from Seagate, for an impressive 48 TB in a mere 1U size. Delivering speeds of up to 1330 MB/s, it is the most powerful plug and play rackmount solution for 4K video editing.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Xyratex Ltd, a leading provider of data storage technology.

"Exabyte growth is accelerating, and we are building higher capacity drives to address this growth," said Dave Mosley, President of Operations and Technology at Seagate. "The time required to properly test these higher capacity drives is increasing dramatically, making it strategically important to have uninterrupted access to world-class test equipment and engineering resources. The addition of Xyratex helps us fill this important need and considerably streamlines Seagate's supply and manufacturing chains for our core HDD business."

Seagate is reportedly working on a 6 terabyte hard drive, which it plans to roll out in Q2 (April-June), 2014. According to leaked company road-maps, the drive could be launched in the later part of the quarter, and could be branded in the new Constellation ES.3 Megalodon series. The drive will be built in the 3.5-inch form-factor, its interface, however, remains unclear (whether it's SATA or SAS). The drive tucks in six 1000 GB platters. Competitor HGST's 6 TB Helium drive, in comparison, runs seven 857 GB ones. Given its enterprise credentials, Seagate could give it at least 7,200 RPM spindle speeds.

Seagate Technology plc today reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 ended December 27, 2013. During the second quarter, the Company reported revenue of $3.53 billion, gross margin of 28.0%, net income of $428 million and diluted earnings per share of $1.24. On a non-GAAP basis, which excludes the net impact of certain items, Seagate reported gross margin of 28.5%, net income of $455 million and diluted earnings per share of $1.32.

During the second quarter, the Company generated approximately $856 million in operating cash flow, paid cash dividends of $142 million and repurchased 33 million ordinary shares for approximately $1.5 billion. There were 328 million ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of the end of the quarter. Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments totaled approximately $2.3 billion at the end of the quarter.

Seagate Technology plc today announced at the annual Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, the expanded availability of the industry's first data protection service plan, Seagate Rescue, to include Staples in the United States and with NCIX and Canada Computer in Canada. The plan is not only available from more retailers, but now also covers hard drives and storage that may be included in a laptop or desktop computer system. Seagate Rescue is the only offering from a storage solution provider to deliver such a comprehensive data protection plan on a range of storage options from multiple brands.

The extended warranties that people have become accustomed to purchasing along with a new system cover only the hardware and not the files that have been saved to or edited on a device. This data protection plan provides a service where in the event of a file or several files being damaged, lost or destroyed, the consumer now has a path to recovery of the data that is affordable.

Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX), a worldwide leader in storage solutions, today announced that it is working with Lenovo, the world's largest PC maker, to deliver YOGA 2, a new multimode PC powered by the Seagate Laptop Ultrathin HDD. Both companies will demo the YOGA 2 multimode PC at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Seagate has had an ongoing strategic alliance with Lenovo for many years. By delivering the technology that enables their YOGA 2 with the Laptop Ultrathin HDD, we have succeeded in delivering a high-capacity, lightweight laptop that addresses the needs of consumers and commercial users," said Scott Horn, Seagate vice president of marketing. "Redefining the laptop and tablet space, this new drive enables consumers to enjoy PC-like storage capacity in a thin and light Ultrabook design."

Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ:STX) today announced the second generation of its sleek external storage lineup, Seagate Backup Plus Slim. With a svelte compact design and superspeed USB 3.0 interface, the Backup Plus Slim drive is the ideal storage solution to aggregate and back up valued photos, videos and other files despite being spread across numerous devices, social networks and personal computers.

This new offering includes the backup software, Seagate Dashboard, which made the first generation of Seagate Backup Plus drives so popular. The Seagate Dashboard software provides an easy one-click backup solution, but can also be set as a scheduled backup up as needed. Additionally, the Dashboard software will back up Facebook and Flickr albums to ensure that even video and photos shared through these networks are backed up and easy to find. Use the Save and Share features to download and upload content from these social media networks. Even all the photos you have been tagged in can be backed up from your social networks to the drive.

Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX), a worldwide leader in storage solutions, today announced that its Seagate Ultra Mobile HDD will be utilized in the latest generation of Haier Computer's 13-inch Tablet/PC- the Sailing P13A. The company also disclosed that Haier Computer has selected Seagate hard disk drives (HDD) to be the standard in all of its PC products.

"Seagate has an ongoing strategic alliance with Haier and is committed to jointly delivering industry-leading PC products that consumers desire- and the Sailing P13A does just that," said Sandy Sun, Seagate's vice president and general manager for China. "Outfitted with the Seagate Ultra Mobile HDD, the P13A enables Haier to comfortably integrate high-capacity storage into its Tablet/PC enabling users to enjoy their content in a tablet form factor at home, on-the-go, wherever."

Seagate Technology plc. today introduced Backup Plus FAST portable drive; the world's first portable 4TB storage device, providing twice the capacity and speed of existing external portable drives. This new Seagate Backup Plus FAST drive features a superspeed USB 3.0 interface to deliver transfer speeds up to 220MB per second, making it the perfect companion for a field photographer or filmmaker looking to quickly move large files to backup.

"With Backup Plus FAST, Seagate has taken a very mature product category and has delivered innovative enhancements to address the real world challenges of our customers," said Scott Horn, vice president of global marketing for Seagate. "The performance and capacity of this new portable drive is beyond that of any other external offering to date. We believe that the Backup Plus FAST drive will be widely adopted by creative professionals as the go-to back up device for the field."

Today, two brands known for elegant design announce a silver-plated hard drive: LaCie Sphère, design by Christofle. Whether gracing the table of a 19th Century prince or the desk of a modern-day CEO, a piece by Christofle makes an impression. Building on LaCie's initial partnership with Christofle that produced the Galet USB key, the Sphère integrates Christofle's luxurious heritage with the industry's latest technology.

The handcrafted hard drive is enclosed in a spherical case of silver-plated steel. Due to its round shape, the LaCie Sphère requires a careful manual plating process. It is stamped, silver-plated and finally polished for a perfect brightness in Christofle's silversmith workshop in Yainville (Normandy), France. The highly reflective finish makes the hard drive a decorative piece to accompany any upscale home or office workstation.

Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX), a world leader in storage solutions, and Xyratex Ltd (NASDAQ: XRTX), a leading provider of data storage technology, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Seagate will acquire all outstanding shares of Xyratex in an all-cash transaction valued at $13.25 per share, or a total of approximately $374 million, including approximately $80 million in cash on Xyratex's balance sheet as of August 31, 2013. The consideration represents a premium of approximately 27% per share over Xyratex's stock price at the close of trading on December 20, 2013.

Xyratex has developed a leading hard disk drive ("HDD") capital test equipment business. The acquisition of this business will further strengthen Seagate's vertically integrated supply and manufacturing chain for disk drives and ensure uninterrupted access to important capital equipment. The acquisition also expands Seagate's storage solutions portfolio by adding Xyratex's industry-leading enterprise data storage systems and high-performance computing business. Seagate will operate this business as a standalone entity and will focus on opportunities to improve and expand the business.

Seagate Technology plc today introduced the latest addition to the company's business storage product offerings, Seagate Business Storage Windows Server 4-bay NAS. Designed for offices or workgroups with up to 50 employees, this new 4-bay NAS centralizes storage to allow access, collaboration and sharing of files securely from all computers within a business network, while simultaneously hosting PC backups in one central location.

"Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 introduces groundbreaking new storage functionality for organizations of all sizes, and the Seagate Business Storage Windows Server 4-bay NAS takes advantage of these advances to serve the growing demand from small- and medium-sized businesses," said Brian Hillger, director, product marketing, Microsoft. "We are happy to have collaborated with Seagate in developing a NAS solution that integrates into existing server infrastructures."

Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) today announced that the company has been named an International CES Innovations 2014 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for its Business Storage 8-bay rackmount network attached storage solution. Seagate Business Storage delivers centralized backup, data protection and remote access to critical information for small and medium-sized business organizations (SMBs) in capacities ranging from 4 to 32 terabytes.

"Seagate is pleased to be honored by the CEA for outstanding design and innovation of the industry's first hot-swappable 8-bay rackmount server in a 1U form factor," said Scott Horn, vice president of global marketing for Seagate. "This project includes not only a groundbreaking hardware design but also a new proprietary NAS OS to simplify storage management and monitoring for our small business customers. This product is only the latest in a new portfolio that further strengths Seagate's commitment to the small business space."

Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) today announced that its Samsung HDD division is shipping the new 2.5-inch Spinpoint M9T, which at 9.5 mm thin is the world's thinnest 2TB hard drive. Offered in capacities of 1.5TB and 2TB, the Spinpoint M9T mobile drive gives OEMs, channel system integrators and consumers a thin, high-capacity storage solution ideal for external storage, notebook integration and upgrades, desktop, and gaming system applications.

"The M9T combines the highest areal density shipping in a single storage device with an innovative design that fits into mainstream notebook applications. While other 2TB are solutions on the market are 15 mm thick, the vast majority of mobile devices are designed to use a 9.5 mm drive; with the M9T, those devices can now have 2TB of storage, enabling a richer computing experience," said Dave Frankovich, senior product line manager, Samsung HDD.

Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) today announced that it intends, subject to market and other conditions, to offer up to $500 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes (the "Notes") in a private placement. The Notes are expected to be issued by Seagate HDD Cayman, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Seagate Technology plc, and guaranteed by Seagate Technology plc.

Seagate intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes for general corporate purposes, which may include, but are not limited to, the retirement of a portion of its outstanding indebtedness, capital expenditures and other investments in the business.

Seagate Technology plc today reported financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 ended September 27, 2013. During the first quarter, the Company reported revenue of approximately $3.5 billion, gross margin of 28.0%, net income of $427 million and diluted earnings per share of $1.16. On a non-GAAP basis, which excludes the net impact of certain items, Seagate reported gross margin of 28.5%, net income of $473 million and diluted earnings per share of $1.29.

During the first quarter, the Company generated approximately $682 million in operating cash flow, paid cash dividends of $135 million and repurchased 4 million ordinary shares for approximately $182 million. There were 359 million ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of the end of the quarter.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in hard disk drives and storage solutions, today announced a private share redemption transaction with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in the amount of 32.7 million ordinary shares, representing approximately 9% of Seagate's shares outstanding as of the end of the fiscal first quarter 2014. Following the transaction, Samsung will continue to own approximately 12.5 million shares of Seagate and Dr. Seh-Woong Jeong, Executive Vice President at the Systems LSI Division of Samsung Electronics will remain on the Seagate Board of Directors.

"We are pleased that Samsung intends to continue to be a long-term strategic shareholder and valued business partner with Seagate. Our success with the Samsung hard disk drive products that we acquired has exceeded our expectations and we are very encouraged with our joint product development for enterprise solid state drives. We look forward to continuing to benefit from Dr. Jeong's counsel and guidance as part of our Board of Directors and we are very optimistic about the future of our flash technology partnership," said Steve Luczo, Seagate Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced that it will be demonstrating its next generation heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology at CEATEC 2013. Pushing the boundaries of magnetic recording, Seagate's revolutionary HAMR technology is poised to power an astounding 20 Terabyte drive by as early as 2020.

"The world is generating an astronomical amount of data annually and that data needs to be stored. We are approaching the limits of today's recording technology and with HAMR technology, Seagate is on track to continue to increase areal density delivering hard drives with the lowest cost per gigabyte and reaching capacities of 20TB by 2020," said Mark Re, Seagate's chief technology officer.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced it has shipped over one million drives using shingled magnetic recording (SMR). SMR is the next generation in storage technology and is critical for continued improvement in areal density (the amount of data that can be stored on a single disk) to support global growth in cloud and mobile usage. The SMR generation of storage technology is expected to power gains of up to 25 percent.

"With nearly 7 billion inhabitants on earth we are creating an astounding 2.7 Zettabytes of data a year and as such are rapidly approaching the physical limits of how much can be written on a single conventional hard disk drive," said Mark Re, Seagate's chief technology officer. "With SMR technology, Seagate is on track to improve areal density by up to 25 percent or 1.25 TB per disk, delivering hard drives with the lowest cost per gigabyte and reaching capacities of 5 TB and beyond."

Seagate Technology plc., a world leader in storage solutions, today took the wraps off the new Seagate Ultra Mobile HDD designed exclusively for mobile devices. Integrated with the Seagate Mobile Enablement Kit which includes Seagate's Dynamic Data Driver software technology, the new storage solution delivers up to 7x the storage capacity of a traditional 64GB tablet with the same power, performance and reliability of a flash device.

"Coupling an ultra-thin, high-capacity HDD with software designed to optimize integration into tablets at a value-add price has allowed us to deliver a truly ground-breaking solution, enabling our partners to reimagine the mobile device," said Steve Luczo, president, CEO and chairman of Seagate. "By empowering our OEMs with this revolutionary new technology, we have invited the industry to re-think the mobile market making this offering a true game-changer in the world of storage."

eASIC Corporation, a provider of NEW ASIC devices today announced a strategic investment by Seagate Technology. In addition to the equity investment, eASIC and Seagate also are exploring opportunities to jointly develop custom silicon solutions for Seagate's portfolio of Solid State Drives (SSD) that would combine Seagate's expertise in SSD with eASIC's expertise in fast time-to-market, low-cost and low-power custom silicon solutions.

As FLASH memory continues to evolve at a rapid pace from 2 bits per cell, 1xnm (MLC) to 3 bits per cell 1xnm (TLC) and the industry continues to adopt a wide variety of host interfaces such as PCI Express, NVMe and SoP (SCSI over PCI Express), Seagate and eASIC seek to deliver high-performance, low-cost and low-power SSD solutions for the consumer, enterprise and cloud computing.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced it is shipping the world's fastest hard drive - the Seagate Enterprise Turbo SSHD. The industry's first enterprise solid state hybrid drive (SSHD), the Enterprise Turbo SSHD combines the capacity of a hard drive with solid-state flash enabling high-speed performance for mission critical data.

Setting a new standard in mission critical performance, the Enterprise Turbo SSHD provides up to a 3X increase in random performance over existing 15K-RPM drives and is available with up to 600 GB of capacity. By unifying the best of solid-state and magnetic technologies, Turbo improves tiered storage performance combining accelerated speed with hard disk drive (HDD) high-capacity.