WGS reviewed LaCie’s 5big Backup Server in August – it’s a capable small office server with huge storage capacity (up to 10TB internally across 5 bays), but with many cheaper solutions available in the marketplace today, I felt that LaCie got their pricing wrong. The review concluded:
Beautiful hardware and competent software certainly makes for an effective solution, and whilst we were initially troubled by the 5big’s hardware specifications, it fought its corner well against HP’s Data Vault in testing. But at a starting price of £1,019/$1,199, the 5big Backup Server is too expensive compared to its peers. With huge brands such as HP, Acer and Lenovo selling similarly specced servers from $350, and even adding on the additional cost of storage to meet the same 5TB pool as the 5big, you have to look very hard to see why a small business owner would pay twice as much as some of its competitors for the 5big Backup Server. Sure, LaCie have a 3 Year Warranty in place, but so does HP’s X510 Data Vault with a faster processor and more RAM. LaCie supports OSX with Time Machine, again, HP are already there. With a beefier specifications and stand-out, exclusive add-ins, the story may be different – but when compared to its peers pound for pound, LaCie have missed the mark on the 5big’s pricing.
Today, I heard from the company’s press representatives, who let me know the price of the 5big has now been reduced. In the US, the 5TB model has dropped from $1,199.99 down to $1,049.99, whilst in the UK, a £200 reduction has been applied, taking the price to £819. The reductions should help the 5big Backup Server complete more effectively in a small, but relatively crowded marketplace.
