News & Events
Intersil's New Dual-Band Chip Set Unites the 802.11a, b & g WLAN Standards

-- PRISM Duette delivers seamless compatibility for WLANs operating in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands~-- Intersil will sample PRISM Duette by year’s end and targets product to be on the market early in 2003

IRVINE, CA, June 5, 2002 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions, today announced PRISM Duette™ — a dual-band 802.11a and 802.11g Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) solution capable of transmitting high-speed video, voice and data at speeds up to 54 million bits per second (Mbps) while remaining 100 percent backward compatible to the existing installed base of over 15 million Wi-Fi (802.11b) systems worldwide.

“Our goal for PRISM WLAN technology has always been to ensure that 2.4 and 5 GHz WLANs are complementary technologies that offer complete flexibility in developing and deploying WLAN platforms,” said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for Intersil’s Wireless Products Group. “We’ve leveraged over five years of WLAN innovation and IC integration in creating PRISM Duette. Our unique two-chip solution will enable seamless mobility between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLANs and provides a compelling solution for our customers.”

PRISM Duette features Intersil’s highly integrated Baseband Processor and Medium Access Controller (BBP/MAC) and direct down conversion (ZIF) architecture. Its dual-band OFDM-based (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) technology communicates with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN devices. Because it is 100 percent standards based, PRISM Duette is an ideal technology to design into leading edge wireless networking platforms, while offering owners of existing wireless networks investment protection as they migrate towards next-generation WLAN technology.

PRISM Duette enables a wide range of broadband WLAN applications leveraging PRISM® 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz technologies to support infrastructure applications such as building-to-building wireless bridging, environments where a very high density of users require the extra channel capacity available in the 5 GHz band and bandwidth hungry applications such as video conferencing. PRISM Duette is also ideal for home networking applications such as simultaneous multi-channel streaming video and voice and CD-quality audio playback. The device also uses the 2.4 GHz band to support legacy Wi-Fi equipment performing 802.11b WLAN applications including Internet access, Web browsing and messaging.

“We’re committed to providing our customers with complete 802.11a, b, g, dual-band and multi-mode WLAN solutions for portable devices that will provide seamless roaming capabilities anywhere in the world regardless of the infrastructure,” commented Larry Ciaccia. About Intersil
Intersil Corporation manufactures and markets high performance analog and wireless networking solutions. As a global semiconductor leader, Intersil focuses on four of the industry's fastest 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, and its Elantec Product Group’s (“Elantec”), 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; 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 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 (including integration issues; costs and unanticipated expenditures; changing relationships with customers, suppliers, and strategic partners; potential contractual, employment, and intellectual property issues; risks of not securing regulatory approvals; accounting treatment and charges; and the risks that the acquisition cannot be completed successfully, 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, as well as other risk factors. Intersil’s recently filed quarterly report on Form 10-Q 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. PRISM is a registered trademark and PRISM Duette is a trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
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