The large eyelets in the rack ears allow the cables coming from the back of the rack cabinet to reach the front of the device in an ordered fashion. In front mode, all connections are on the front. It's built into a sturdy metal case with included rack ears that can be mounted in two ways.
The GSi 5x5 is a Professional Rackmount 5-input / 5-output USB-Midi interface, ideal for the studio but great for complex live setups as well.