News & Events
Intersil's PRISM II Featured in 3Com’s New 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Solution
New wireless Access Point and PC Card targeted to companies with up to 100 network users
IRVINE, CA, March 21, 2001—Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), the world’s leading provider of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), announced today that Intersil's PRISM® II WLAN chip set is incorporated into a new wireless LAN solution from 3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS). Designed for offices that have limited or no technical support staff, the new 3Com® 11 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) wireless LAN solution includes a PC Card for portable PCs and an Access Point for connection back to the wired network.
"These new 3Com products are significant because now smaller businesses will be able to reap the benefits of wireless networking without having to buy a solution that is designed for large corporate campuses," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager of PRISM Wireless Products at Intersil. "This is further evidence of the growing adoption of Wi-Fi™ (802.11b) and PRISM for fast, innovative and standards-compatible wireless systems from the market leaders."
"We chose the Intersil PRISM solution because it was the best solution available to meet our performance and reliability needs," said Paul Fulton, vice president and general manager of the Wireless Connectivity Division at 3Com. "3Com is committed to delivering a radically simple wireless experience for people so they can accomplish the remarkable things that the Internet revolution has made possible."
Tailored for small businesses, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN solution provides enhanced security and performance while greatly simplifying the user experience. Key innovations include the new XJACK® Antenna that extends out for network connectivity then retracts back into the laptop for convenience while in transit, 60-second access point setup, where radio channel and network configuration are automatically self-configured, and the new Dynamic Security Link system that is simpler for the user to administer yet far more robust than previous standards based security approaches. Finally, the products are Wi-Fi certified, so they are guaranteed compatible with Wi-Fi certified devices from other vendors.
PRISM II is a highly integrated WLAN chip set that delivers 11 Mbps data rates and is fully compliant with the IEEE 802.11b standard. PRISM II-based systems are feature-rich and provide fast, reliable performance in all types of networking environments. Advanced design and process technologies reduce power consumption, design complexity and total system cost. The PRISM II chip set includes reference designs, evaluation kits, firmware and software in addition to the highly integrated silicon. The PRISM II reference design is Wi-Fi certified by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), thus ensuring multi-vendor interoperability.
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 chip sets holding the majority of market share." 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. PRISM/work™ and PRISM/home™ products are used in WLAN systems from industry-leading companies including Alcatel, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, D-Link, Linksys, Nokia, Nortel, Samsung, Scientific-Atlanta, Siemens, SOHOware, Sony, SpectraLink, Symbol and Zoom.
About 3Com Corporation
3Com simplifies how people connect to information and services through easy-to-use connectivity products and solutions for consumers and commercial organizations. The company also provides access infrastructures and IP services platforms for network service providers. For further information, visit www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.
3Com Media Contact: Mark Plungy, 408-326-6545, mark_plungy@3com.com
About Intersil
Intersil is a leading supplier of semiconductors, reference designs and software for wireless access and communications analog 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, file 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 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 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 WLAN market include, but are not limited to, the rate at which consumers adopt small handheld Internet appliances, 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 Americas Inc.
PRISM/work and PRISM/home are trademarks of Intersil Americas Inc.
3Com and XJACK are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.
Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance.
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
