LaCie

LaCie is a computer-hardware brand specializing in external data-storage and peripheral products. Its history combines two businesses that developed separately on opposite sides of the Atlantic: La Cie, founded in Tigard, Oregon, in 1987, and électronique d2, founded in Paris in 1989 by Pierre Fournier and Philippe Spruch. Both companies initially concentrated on external storage built around the SCSI interface, a standard strongly associated with professional computing and Apple Macintosh systems during the period. The French company began by assembling hard disks in external SCSI enclosures. It expanded quickly, moved to larger Paris premises, invested in product development, and established European subsidiaries. The Oregon company also built a position in Macintosh peripherals and was acquired in 1990 by Plus Development, a Quantum subsidiary. Under Quantum ownership, La Cie became the exclusive manufacturer of Apple-branded external SCSI hard drives using Quantum mechanisms, strengthening its presence in the Macintosh market. In 1995, électronique d2 acquired La Cie from Quantum. The transaction combined d2's European infrastructure and product-development capabilities with La Cie's North American distribution and market access. In 1998, the combined group adopted LaCie as its worldwide brand name, replacing électronique d2 on most products while retaining traces of the older d2 identity in certain product families. The company subsequently broadened its portfolio beyond SCSI storage to include CD writers, DVD drives, magneto-optical and SyQuest products, tape-backup systems, RAID arrays, USB and FireWire drives, network storage, and professional monitors. Design became one of LaCie's principal differentiators. The company worked with designers and studios including Ziba Design, Philippe Starck, Neil Poulton, Christophe Pillet, Porsche Design, Karim Rashid, and Ora-Ito. Distinctive enclosures such as the Porsche Design range, the Rugged portable drives, the d2 line, the PocketDrive, the Little Big Disk, and the Brick helped position storage hardware as a visible part of a professional workstation rather than an anonymous commodity. LaCie also developed displays and color-management products aimed at graphics and creative professionals, emphasizing color consistency and workflow reliability. The brand continued to expand its storage capacity and interface options as computing standards changed. Its products supported combinations of FireWire 400 and 800, eSATA, USB, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, and other interfaces, while its product range included both desktop devices requiring external power and compact bus-powered mobile drives. The Big Disk and Bigger Disk lines represented successive high-capacity external-storage milestones, while professional RAID and network products addressed higher-performance and redundancy requirements. LaCie acquired Caleido, the company behind the Wuala peer-to-peer storage service, in 2009, adding an online-storage dimension to its hardware business. Seagate Technology announced a plan to acquire LaCie in 2012 for approximately US$186 million, and the acquisition was completed in 2014. LaCie has since operated as a Seagate brand, continuing to serve consumer, creative-professional, and business storage markets under its established design-oriented identity. Because the supplied references do not establish a current standalone headquarters, executive roster, or independent financial reporting, those fields are left unspecified.

LaCie's origins lie in two independent storage companies. La Cie, Ltd. was established in July 1987 in Tigard, Oregon, by Joel Kamerman, Robert Kamerman, Tudy Kamerman, and Roger Bates. Its early products included external drives for computer users, including the Cirrus Drive, which was recognized for industrial design. In December 1990, La Cie was acquired by Plus Development, a subsidiary of Quantum Corporation. The Quantum connection enabled La Cie to become the exclusive producer of Apple-branded external SCSI hard drives using Quantum disk mechanisms. In Paris, Pierre Fournier and Philippe Spruch founded électronique d2 in 1989. The company initially assembled hard disks in external SCSI enclosures, serving a market closely connected to Macintosh computers. It soon moved from apartment-based operations to larger premises, began designing its own enclosures and products, invested in research and development, and established subsidiaries across Europe. Although Macintosh users remained important, d2 also developed products and interfaces for PC users. The two businesses occupied a similar specialist niche, and électronique d2 acquired La Cie from Quantum in 1995. The acquisition gave d2 access to the North American market while adding La Cie's established distribution and Apple-related relationships to d2's European base. The group expanded its international presence during the 1990s and changed its worldwide branding in 1998, using LaCie instead of électronique d2. The older d2 name nevertheless remained visible in selected product families. Product development expanded considerably. In addition to external SCSI hard disks, LaCie introduced or sold CD writers, DVD drives, magneto-optical drives, SyQuest drives, tape-backup equipment, RAID arrays, portable USB and FireWire storage, network-connected products, and displays. The company pursued high-capacity products such as the 500 GB Big Disk in 2003 and the 1 TB Bigger Disk in 2004. It also developed professional monitors and color-management equipment for graphics users. Industrial design became a defining part of the brand's identity. Ziba Design contributed to early Oregon-developed products, while the French operation worked with Philippe Starck, Neil Poulton, Christophe Pillet, Porsche Design, Karim Rashid, and Ora-Ito. The resulting products used distinctive materials, colors, forms, and packaging to make storage hardware visually recognizable. Neil Poulton designed many of the brand's enduring product families, including the d2, PocketDrive, Rugged, and Little Big Disk lines. In 2007, several LaCie designs entered the permanent collection of Paris's Centre Georges Pompidou. LaCie moved into online storage through its 2009 acquisition of Caleido, the developer of Wuala. Seagate announced a proposed acquisition in 2012, valuing the transaction at approximately US$186 million, and completed the acquisition in 2014. LaCie subsequently continued as a Seagate brand, retaining an emphasis on external storage, creative-professional workflows, high-capacity products, and industrial design.

• 2014

  Seagate acquisition completed

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  LaCie became part of Seagate following completion of the acquisition.

• 2012

  Seagate announced acquisition plan

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  Seagate announced plans to acquire LaCie for approximately US$186 million.

• 2009

  Caleido acquired

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  LaCie acquired Caleido, bringing the Wuala online-storage service into its portfolio.

• 2004

  Bigger Disk introduced

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  LaCie launched the Bigger Disk, described as a 1 TB external hard drive.

• 2003

  Big Disk introduced

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  LaCie launched the Big Disk, described in the reference material as a 500 GB external hard drive.

• 1998

  LaCie adopted as the worldwide brand

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  The combined group replaced électronique d2 with LaCie as its global brand identity.

• 1995

  électronique d2 acquired La Cie

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  The French company purchased La Cie from Quantum and gained a North American operating platform.

• 1990

  La Cie acquired by Plus Development

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  Quantum subsidiary Plus Development acquired La Cie, bringing it into Quantum's storage business.

• 1989

  électronique d2 founded in Paris

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  Pierre Fournier and Philippe Spruch established électronique d2 as a French external-storage company.

• 1987

  La Cie founded in Oregon

  [1]LaCieen.wikipedia.org

  Joel Kamerman, Robert Kamerman, Tudy Kamerman, and Roger Bates founded La Cie, Ltd. in Tigard, Oregon.

Design-led, professional-oriented digital storage. LaCie has historically differentiated itself through industrial design, broad interface support, high-capacity and RAID solutions, and products tailored to creative professionals who value dependable storage and display color management.

• External hard drive · 2003

  LaCie Big Disk

  The Big Disk was a high-capacity desktop external hard drive launched in 2003. It represented LaCie's effort to package very large storage capacity in a directly attached peripheral for professional and power users. The product was associated with the company's transition from earlier SCSI-oriented solutions toward newer external interfaces and higher-capacity workflows.

• External hard drive · 2004

  LaCie Bigger Disk

  Introduced in 2004, the Bigger Disk extended LaCie's high-capacity desktop-storage strategy. It was described in the reference material as a 1 TB external hard drive, serving users who needed substantially more directly attached storage than ordinary single-drive peripherals of the period.

• Portable external storage

  LaCie Rugged

  The Rugged family is a portable, bus-powered storage line associated with Neil Poulton's product design work. It was developed for mobile users and creative professionals who needed compact external storage for laptops and field workflows. The family became one of LaCie's recognizable design-led product lines.

• Desktop external storage

  LaCie d2

  The d2 range preserves the name of LaCie's French predecessor, électronique d2. It developed into a family of desktop external storage products for professional and advanced computer users. Neil Poulton was responsible for important elements of the range's product design, and the name continued to appear after the group adopted LaCie as its worldwide brand.

• External storage · 2003

  LaCie Porsche Design storage

  The Porsche Design line was commissioned by Philippe Spruch and developed with Porsche Design beginning in the early 2000s. It applied a premium, minimalist industrial-design language to external storage products and became one of LaCie's best-selling ranges between 2003 and 2006.

• Portable professional storage

  LaCie Little Big Disk

  Little Big Disk was a compact professional-storage family designed for users seeking high performance in a portable enclosure. It was among the product families associated with Neil Poulton and LaCie's strategy of combining advanced storage capability with distinctive industrial design.

• Online storage

  Wuala

  Wuala was an online-storage service developed by Caleido, which LaCie acquired in 2009. The service extended LaCie's business beyond physical peripherals into internet-based storage and peer-to-peer technology. Its inclusion reflected the company's interest in combining local storage products with online data services.

• Computer display · 1997

  LaCie professional displays

  LaCie's display products targeted graphics professionals and emphasized color matching and color-management workflows. The company launched high-end 21-inch monitors and related color-management devices in the late 1990s, extending its professional positioning from data storage into visual production and design environments.

• 2012

  Agree to Seagate acquisitionM&A

  Background

  LaCie operated in the external-storage market while Seagate was a major storage-device manufacturer seeking to broaden its branded solutions portfolio.

  Action taken

  Seagate announced an agreement to purchase LaCie for approximately US$186 million.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition was completed in 2014, and LaCie continued as a Seagate-owned brand.

  Announced transaction value. 186 million USD (2012 announcement)

  Source

• 2009

  Acquire Caleido and WualaM&A

  Background

  LaCie sought to extend its storage offering into online and peer-to-peer data storage.

  Action taken

  LaCie acquired Caleido, the company associated with the Wuala service.

  Aftermath

  The transaction added an online-storage service to LaCie's primarily hardware-centered portfolio.

  Source

• 1998

  Adopt LaCie as the worldwide brandStrategy

  Background

  After électronique d2 acquired La Cie and combined the two businesses, the group needed a unified international identity.

  Action taken

  Management selected LaCie as the worldwide brand name and reduced the use of électronique d2 in customer-facing branding.

  Aftermath

  The LaCie name became the principal identity for the combined company's storage and peripheral products, although d2 remained visible in some product names.

  Source

1. 1LaCieen.wikipedia.org