News & Events
Intersil and Z-Com Deliver Wi-Fi Connectivity for Casio's new BE-300 Pocket Manager and other Handheld Computing Products
-- Z-Com's PRISM-based Compact Flash WLAN card powers new Casio PDAs and sub-notebooks
IRVINE, CA, October 18, 2001 - Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), the world's leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), today announced that Z-Com's Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b) compliant Compact Flash® (CF) WLAN cards based on Intersil's PRISM® technology have been optimized for Casio's new Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) products. The new line of CASSIOPEIAs® and their enhanced new features are the perfect tool for wireless connectivity using Z-Com's CF WLAN card.
Z-Com's PRISM-based LANEscape WLAN cards for the CASSIOPEIA PDAs and Sub-Notebooks are the latest peripheral items, a new generation of rugged computing appliances optimized for harsh working environments such as construction sites. Z-Com's XI-800 and XI-825 CF WLAN cards - based on Intersil's PRISM II and PRISM 2.5 chip sets - provides CASSIOPEIA notebook and select PDA users complete mobility while maintaining connectivity to a wired network via an access point.
"It's exciting to see Z-Com's PRISM-based Compact Flash card being utilized by a market leader such as Casio to deliver Wi-Fi wireless capability in ever-smaller devices such as PDAs and sub-notebook handheld devices," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for Intersil's Wireless Networking Business. "The new CASSIOPEIA products further underscore the growing adoption of PRISM and Wi-Fi for emerging handheld Internet appliances."
Utilizing Intersil's PRISM 2 and 2.5 chip sets, Z-Com's CF WLAN cards operate in the 2.4 GHz Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band at the IEEE 802.11b-compliant high-data-rate speed of 11 megabits per second (Mbps).
Z-Com's XI-800 is a PRISM 2-based CF card with coverage over 500 feet in an open area, and the XI-825 is PRISM 2.5-based and features an ultra slim form factor. Intersil's PRISM 2.5 wireless networking chip set is optimized for smaller form factors and embedded WLAN applications such as mini-PCI, USB or Compact Flash that are much smaller and are typically installed directly into the system during product assembly.
"Z-Com recognizes the need for high-quality silicon solutions as well as superior end products in order to sustain the high demand for wireless networking devices," said Don Chu, executive vice president at Z-Com. "Intersil's PRISM chip sets provide the most powerful wireless networking solutions available on the market today for manufacturing Wi-Fi wireless devices, enabling Z-Com to quickly develop and bring our CF WLAN cards to major consumer electronics companies such as Casio."
CASSIOPEIA units designed to work with Z-Com's CF WLAN cards include the CASSIOPEIA E-125 and recently announced CASSIOPEIA E-200 series Pocket PCs, the CASSIOPEIA EG-800 series and IT-700 series Corporate and Industrial Pocket PC's, the CASSIOPEIA MPC-206 and 501 series Sub-notebook and the new CASSIOPEIA BE-300, Windows CE Pocket Manager.
Z-Com worked closely with Casio's engineers to provide (IEEE802.11b) compliant wireless Compact Flash (CF) WLAN cards for ease of use in a wireless corporate network environment for the new CASSIOPEIA Pocket Manager BE-300. Priced under $300, the BE-300 includes a 32K color touch screen display and is highly expandable. The BE-300 includes a USB/Serial Connector, a Compact Flash card slot (Type II). It is Casio's first PDA model to feature an optional PC Card unit (Model JK-865PU with a list price of only $159.00) that accepts a variety of expansion PC Card modules including wireless LAN cards and wireless modems. The Pocket Manager series features an open development framework based on Windows CE 3.0 operating system, which provides software developers an easy method to port over popular business applications.
The new CASSIOPEIA units all feature robust business applications for the demanding mobile professional and browser software (modem required-sold separately) for easy Internet access. The EG-800STD, Industrial CASSIOPEIA is a 65,536 Color Palm-size device which uses the new Microsoft Pocket PC operating system and is perfect for many business applications. The EG-800STD can be used with such optional hardware accessories as Bar Code Laser Scanners, Wireless Data Communication Devices or with the Casio Digital Camera Compact Flash Card.
"Casio's CASSIOPEIA PDAs and Sub-Notebooks offer a unique, user-friendly interface and deliver superior wireless connectivity with Windows PCs at price points that encourage widespread consumer adoption," said Gary Schultz, director of marketing for Casio's Mobile Information Products Division. "Z-Com's PRISM-based XI-800 and XI-825 CF WLAN cards have given us the ability to offer our customers reliable, high-speed wireless networking.
The Global Wireless Market Embraces PRISM WLAN Technology
"Intersil is the number one manufacturer of wireless LAN chipsets and has been a driving force behind the success of WLANs," said a May 2001 WLAN report from Cahners In-Stat Group. Since introducing the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996, industry-leading companies including Actiontec, Alcatel, ASUS, Casio, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, D-Link, GemTek, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Legend, Linksys, Nokia, Nortel, Panasonic, Quanta, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, SOHOware, Sony, SpectraLink, Symbol, Z-Com and Zoom have incorporated PRISM chips in WLAN product designs. PRISM technology is designed to comply with the IEEE's 802.11 global standard, and Intersil is a founding sponsor of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), whose Wi-Fi brand is a mark of compatibility for 802.11-based systems.
About Casio
Casio, Inc., Dover, NJ, is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. Casio, Inc., markets mobile and portable computing solutions to corporation and industry, as well as personal computers, keyboards, digital cameras, calculators, business organizers, portable color TVs, timepieces (Wrist Technology), cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio, the unexpected extra - for more information visit www.casio.com or www.casio4business.com.
About Z-Com
Z-Com Inc., established in 1995, develops, manufactures, and markets a series of high-performance, local/wide area wireless data products and solutions for wireless Internet access and various mobile data applications. Z-Com's headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in Science-Based Industrial Park of Hsinchu, Taiwan with a wholly-owned sales subsidiary in Los Angeles, CA. Together with Taiwan's strength in product engineering and competitive manufacturing, Z-Com has formed a valuable network of resources with an expertise in communication system engineering, radio technology, protocol engineering, networking technologies, and manufacturing capabilities among others. About Intersil
Intersil is a global leader in designing innovative wireless networking and high performance analog solutions that enable wireless access to video, data and voice in homes, offices and public places. Creating advanced power management products, Intersil provides reliable solutions for file servers, portable information appliances and over half of all computer microprocessors manufactured today. With a rich high performance analog and mixed signal portfolio, Intersil brings added value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that bring portable connectivity to people wherever they live, work or travel. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Intersil has offices in cities throughout the US, Europe and Asia. For more information about Intersil or to find out how to become a member of our winning team, visit the company's Web site and career page at www.intersil.com.
This press release contains information relating to certain projections and business trends concerning the WLAN market that are forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and projections about our business and industry. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will" and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. Furthermore, any forward-looking statements and projections made by others in this press release are not adopted by Intersil Corporation ("Intersil") and Intersil is not responsible for the forward-looking statements and projections of others. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various risk factors. Important risk factors that may cause such material differences for Intersil in connection with WLAN market include, but are not limited to: the recent economic slowdown in the technology sector and the semiconductor industry; the rate at which consumers adopt small handheld Internet appliances and portable computing devices in enterprises and in homes; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil's wireless technologies and products, including our embedded LAN applications; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the loss of a key customer; the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; silicon wafer pricing and the availability and quality of foundry and assembly capacity and raw materials; adoption of electronic standards by IEEE in the WLAN market; the effectiveness of Intersil's expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; intellectual property disputes, customer indemnification claims, and other litigation risks; Intersil's ability to develop, market, and transition to volume production new products and technologies in a timely manner; the success of our recently public offering of securities, as well as other risk factors. Intersil's Annual Report on Form 10-K, recent and forthcoming Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Registration Statement of Form S-3, and other Intersil filings with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission ("SEC") (which you may obtain for free at the SEC's Web site www.sec.gov) discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
Casio is a registered trademark of Casio Computer Co., Ltd. CASSIOPEIA is a trademark of Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
LANEscape is a trademark of Z-Com, Inc
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
