News & Events
Intersil Will Implement Cisco Compatible Extensions on PRISM Wireless Local Area Networking Products

-- Intersil’s PRISM GT™ and PRISM Duette™ Wireless LAN solutions will fully utilize and interoperate with Cisco Aironet infrastructure.

MILPITAS, CA, March 5, 2003 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions, today announced it is implementing a software upgrade that will integrate Cisco Compatible Extensions on Intersil’s PRISM GT™ (802.11g) and PRISM Duette™ (802.11a/b/g) dual-band Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) solutions. Intersil’s support for the Cisco Compatible Extensions Program is further evidence of the strong strategic and working relationship between Cisco and Intersil.

“Intersil has been a driving force in the development of Wireless Networking. As the wireless LAN market leader with over 50 percent share¹, Intersil will lead the migration from 802.11b to 802.11g systems,” said Bill Rossi, vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Wireless Networking Business Unit. “Intersil is an important member of the Cisco Compatible Extensions Program and we are very happy they are integrating our program into their market leading wireless LAN solutions. Intersil's participation will help accelerate the availability of exciting new features that will help drive adoption of wireless networking.”

“Cisco has been a long time collaborator and customer of Intersil. The Cisco Compatible Extensions program will allow 802.11-enabled devices using Intersil’s PRISM wireless LAN solutions to seamlessly interoperate with Cisco Aironet wireless LAN systems,” said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for Intersil’s Wireless Networking Products Group. “We are excited about being part of this program which will expand market access to the features and functionality developed by Cisco.”

The Cisco Compatible Extensions program offers a no cost licensing of innovative Aironet features for integration into client adapters and, ultimately, mobile devices, on a non-exclusive basis. After extensive interoperability testing with Cisco wireless LAN infrastructure, the adapter or device can be marketed with the Cisco Compatible brand signifying that it provides support for the full set of Cisco Compatible Extension features that meet the security, management and roaming needs enterprise customers are demanding.

Intersil’s PRISM GT and PRISM Duette solutions are addressing the needs of the mobile user who can now connect to virtually any flavor of wireless infrastructure, the consumer who can stream multimedia and get whole home coverage, and in the workplace where dense user environments can exist. “By leveraging our years of experience with 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz wireless LANs we have developed solutions that bring unique value to our customers and end consumers,” added Ciaccia. 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 press release contains 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 Intersil Corporation’s (“Intersil”) management’s current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and projections about Intersil’s business and industry. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “potential,” “continue,” and variations of these words (or negatives 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. 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’s WLAN product group include, but are not limited to: the slowdown in the technology sector generally and the semiconductor industry specifically; our ability to successfully deploy our up integration strategy; the rate at which consumers adopt small handheld Internet appliances and portable computing devices in enterprises and in homes; the rate at which consumers purchase small handheld Internet appliances, portable computing devices, and notebook computers with embedded wireless; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil’s wireless access technologies; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the ability of our customers to manage inventory; 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 our foundry capacity and raw materials; availability, pricing, and quality of third party foundry and assembly and test capacity and raw materials; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party foundries and assembly and test facilities, and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; the risks of producing products with new suppliers and at new fabrication and assembly and test facilities; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies; the effectiveness of Intersil’s expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; the risks inherent in acquisitions, including the acquisition of Elantec Semiconductor, Inc. (including integration issues; costs and unanticipated expenditures; changing relationships with customers, suppliers, and strategic partners; potential contractual, employment, and intellectual property issues; or that the anticipated benefits of the acquisition are not realized); 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 quality of Intersil’s products and any repair or replacement costs; the risks and uncertainties associated with Intersil’s global operations, particularly in light of the war on terrorism; the effects of natural disasters, international conflicts and other events beyond our control; the level of orders received and the ability to fill those orders in a given fiscal quarter; and other factors. Intersil’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Intersil filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (which you may obtain for free at the SEC’s web site at 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 communication and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. ¹IDC’s Worldwide WLAN Semiconductor Market Forecast and Analysis, 2001-2006 (K. Furer, Analyst)
PRISM GT and PRISM Duette are trademarks of Intersil Americas Inc.
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.