News & Events
Intersil Gains Market Position While Delivering on Commitment to Develop Full Complement of Solutions for Portables and Handhelds

-- Solutions preserve battery run time, and offer control and connectivity to enhance the freedom of mobility

MILPITAS, CA, May 6, 2003 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions, today announced that its commitment to gain leadership in the portable and handheld appliance markets has resulted in an extensive portfolio of advanced solutions to enhance the freedom of mobility. Intersil’s market success is the result of innovative products that provide CPU and system power, optical drive and display power, switch-control, data interface and wireless solutions – all designed to further liberate users of notebook PCs, tablet PCs, PDAs and smartphones.

According to the March 17 iSuppli Market Watch report (Volume 3, Issue 11), which ranks the world’s analog semiconductor IC manufacturers by revenue, Intersil was listed among the top 12 analog IC manufacturers for 2002. This is a move up from the 17th position Intersil held in 2001. This significant rise in rank was concurrent with Intersil’s expansion into the portable and handheld markets and is a consequence of Intersil’s strong position in the WLAN and PC power markets.

“Over a year ago, Intersil announced its commitment to enhance the freedom of mobility for users of notebook PCs and handheld devices. As a result of that commitment, we now offer a comprehensive portfolio of innovative solutions in power management, optical drive and display power, data interface, switch control and wireless connectivity,” said Rich Beyer, president and CEO of Intersil. “We have invested heavily in R&D and worked closely with our customers to provide a high-performance array of products for notebooks and other portable appliances. Our product development strategy leverages our leadership in WLANs, power management and optical-storage technologies to develop devices that increase both the unwired performance and operating time. Intersil has improved its market position and is firmly established in high-growth portable and handheld markets.”

A December 2002 forecast from IDC shows a vigorous compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13% for notebook PCs across 2002 to 2006. ABI’s January 2003 forecast predicts a 21% CAGR for PDAs across 2002 to 2006. For the same period, a June 2002 InStat report predicts a whopping 106% CAGR for tablet PCs. ⁽¹⁾The market for smartphones is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 84% between 2002 and 2006, reaching 54-M units in 2006 according to a June 2002 Gartner Dataquest report.

“Boosted largely from the desire to stay connected wirelessly, the demand for portable appliances such as notebook PCs and handheld Internet appliances continues to grow,” Beyer continued. “Our efforts to support these growing markets have yielded a wide array of products that offer high performance, high efficiency and the smallest possible footprints. Intersil’s trademarks have become well known and respected among portable and handheld device manufacturers. We provide power control, battery charging, switch control, interface, WLAN connectivity and, with our Elantec Products Group, optical-storage and display drive solutions – all in support of an extended mobile experience.”

For specific details on Intersil’s products for portable- and handheld-appliance markets, visit these Web sites:

Intersil Endura Power Management for Portables and Handhelds
Intersil now offers a broad range of Endura power management products, tailored specifically for battery-powered appliances where power efficiency, thermal management and space are major design criteria. http://www.intersil.com/design/powermanagement/pwrmanagement.asp

Intersil MightyMUX Analog Switches for Portables and Handhelds
In addition to a generous array of power solutions, Intersil’s portable-and-handheld portfolio includes a wide selection of MightyMUX low-voltage analog switches and multiplexers. http://www.intersil.com/design/SwitchMux/index.asp

Intersil Interface Solutions for Portables and Handhelds
Intersil is a long-time supplier of high-performance serial interface products, which, more recently, have become popular under the Intersil trademark. http://www.intersil.com/design/interface/index.asp

Portable/Handheld, Page Three
Intersil Elantec® Solutions for Portables and Handhelds Intersil’s Elantec Products Group is the number one laser driver IC supplier in the world, providing laser drivers to the world’s makers of CD-R, CD-RW and DVD drives. http://www.intersil.com/design/elantec/index.asp

Intersil PRISM WLAN Technology for Portables and Handhelds
Intersil’s PRISM line is recognized as the worldwide leader in wireless LAN technologies, offering the broadest line of WLAN mobility solutions for notebook PC, tablet and PDA users. http://www.intersil.com/design/prism/index.asp About Intersil
Intersil Corporation is a global semiconductor leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions. Intersil’s product portfolios address four fast growing markets – flat panel displays, optical storage (CD and DVD recordable), power management and wireless networking. Intersil brings added customer value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that enhance the computing experience for people wherever they live, work or travel. 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 release may include "forward looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties. For information identifying economic, political, climatic, currency, regulatory, technological, competitive and some other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements, see Intersil’s Safe Harbor Forward Looking Statement disclaimer found at http://www.intersil.com/legal.asp, as well as Intersil’s SEC filings as updated from time to time, found at http://www.sec.gov. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
⁽¹⁾ Gartner Dataquest, The Definition and Role of Smart Phones, K. Dulaney and B. Prohm, 17 June 2002