Press Releases
Intersil Unveils PRISM® 5 GHz IEEE 802.11a and HIPERLAN/2 Roadmap

IRVINE, CA, November 13, 2000 — Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), the world’s leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), announced today its roadmap for the development of a suite of chip sets and reference designs for future 5 GHz WLAN systems operating to the IEEE’s 802.11a and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s (ETSI) HIPERLAN/2 standards.

"Intersil is the dominant silicon leader in the 2.4 GHz market with our PRISM I, II and 2.5 solutions and we intend to expand that leadership as this spectrum continues to be deployed in homes and offices over the next several years," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for PRISM Wireless Products at Intersil. "With wired Ethernet systems moving to faster speeds, it’s necessary to develop 5 GHz wireless nodes that deliver 54 megabit-per-second data rates, especially to service demand in the Enterprise space. Our 5 GHz teams are developing reliable, full-featured and standards-compliant silicon solutions for the anticipated move to higher frequencies and we expect to deliver samples of a complete 5 GHz chipset toward the end of the first half of next calendar year, hitting full production in the second half. "

Intersil will employ the high-integration design and process skills learned in the 2.4 GHz arena and deploy full solutions including reference designs, evaluation kits, firmware, and software, just as it has done with the current PRISM portfolio. "We believe that silicon leadership in the 5 GHz spectrum will require very high integration, a systems-level solution approach and an aggressive program of reducing bill-of-materials cost and power consumption, just as we have for 2.4 GHz, " Ciaccia commented.

The movement to 5 GHz, 802.11a solutions will likely be led by equipment manufacturers serving the Enterprise market. "As more and more 100 Mbps backplanes go into corporate offices, the IT departments will be looking to deploy wireless nodes that operate at data rates higher than those currently achieved in the 2.4 GHz band, " Ciaccia explained. "We believe these 5 GHz, 54 Mbps systems can be installed in parallel with existing 802.11b 2.4 GHz systems with no interference, allowing companies to give the fastest performance to the workers who need it, while continuing to reap ROI for their 802.11b systems investment. " Intersil also believes 5 GHz, 54 Mbps solutions are ideal for building-to-building wireless bridging applications.

Another market that may benefit from the higher bandwidth is the home space. With 54 Mbps wireless systems in homes, it’s practical to move simultaneous, multi-channel video, voice and CD-quality audio throughout a home. "Of course, that market will be much more cost-sensitive than the Enterprise market, " Ciaccia notes. "That’s why it’s critical that we leverage the integration and systems design expertise we’ve gained in the 2.4 GHz arena toward development of very small, very highly integrated solutions with relatively low power consumption and bill-of-materials cost. "

The PRISM 5 GHz chip sets being developed will be optimized for performance and feature innovative MAC enhancements to deliver best-in-class radio performance, BOM cost and power consumption. The architecture is designed to support IEEE 802.11a, and subsequently ETSI BRAN HIPERLAN/2 and any potential future standards that evolve as a result of the initiatives taken by the 5GHz WLAN Industry Advisory Group. Because the new portfolio will operate in the 5GHz carrier band, end systems will not interfere with IEEE 802.11b, Bluetooth or microwave products.

Adoption of PRISM WLAN Technology
Since introducing the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996, over fifty companies have incorporated PRISM chips in more than 100 product designs. In a May 2000 report, Cahners In-Stat Group called Intersil "the dominant force in the WLAN chip set marketplace with their PRISM chipsets holding the majority of market share. " PRISM technology is designed to comply with the IEEE’s 802.11b 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 802.11b-based systems. PRISM/home™ and PRISM/work™ products are used in WLAN systems from industry-leading companies including Alcatel, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, D-Link, Nokia, Nortel, Samsung, Siemens, SpectraLink, Symbol and Zoom.

About Intersil
Intersil is a leading supplier of semiconductors, reference designs and software for wireless access and communications markets. Intersil applies analog, mixed-signal and radio frequency (RF) expertise to products that enable wireless access to broadband media; provide reliable power management for PCs, files servers and portable information appliances; and convert analog and digital signals in cellular and Internet infrastructure. For more information about Intersil, visit the company's Internet homepage at www.intersil.com.

This press release contains statements relating to certain projections and business trends concerning the Enterprise and Home 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN markets that are forward looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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 Holding 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 the Enterprise and Home 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN markets include, but are not limited to, the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil’s wireless technologies and products; 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 of foundry and assembly capacity and raw materials; intellectual property disputes; as well as other risk factors detailed from time to time in Intersil’s filings with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission ("SEC") which you may obtain for free at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. 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.

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PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Corporation.

Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance.

All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.