News & Events
Intersil’s PRISM II Featured in Zoom’s New Suite of Wireless LAN Products

— Access Point software transforms a PC into a wireless hub for home and office networking

IRVINE, CA, January 8, 2001 — Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), the world’s leading provider of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), today announced that Intersil’s PRISM^® II WLAN chip set is incorporated into a new suite of wireless LAN products from Zoom^® Telephonics (NASDAQ: ZOOM). Designed for home and office use, the new ZoomAir™ product suite includes Access Point Software, two PC Cards and a PCI Adapter. ZoomAir can be used within a wired network or as a completely wireless LAN solution.

"High-speed wireless networks are becoming increasingly important tools in the home, office and at school, and Zoom is providing affordable, high-quality, IEEE 802.11b-compliant products to meet the growing demand," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager of PRISM Wireless Products at Intersil. "PRISM-based WLAN solutions continue to prove their value to home, small business and corporate uses."

The ZoomAir Access Point Software Model 4110 bridges a wireless LAN to a wired Ethernet network and is a low cost software solution for turning desktop PCs into the hub of small wireless local area networks. When installed in a PC with a ZoomAir interface card, the access point software establishes a seamless connection between the wireless network and an existing wired Ethernet system. A wireless LAN is created that provides an extended range of mobility around the PC acting as a central access point. The software includes Wired Ethernet Privacy (WEP) security and Sygate Internet Sharing Software that supports up to 30 simultaneous users.

The ZoomAir Model 4100 PC card fits into the standard PCMCIA slot found in all notebook computers. It is equipped with an integrated dual diversity antenna and turns a typical laptop with Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 or NT4 into a high-speed network workstation.

The ZoomAir Model 4105 PC Card includes a PCI adapter that allows for easy plug-and-play installation of the PC card in a desktop computer. The PCI adapter gives the PC user an economical method to add wireless capabilities to desktop computers with PCI slots. The adapter board provides a rear-access PC Card socket solution for use with the PC card.

"Our ZoomAir suite of WLAN products are Wi-Fi™ certified by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance and have demonstrated interoperability with IEEE 802.11b wireless networking products from other manufacturers," said Terry Manning, Zoom’s vice-president of Sales and Marketing. "Wireless networking is the easiest local area networking installation possible, which makes it an ideal solution for homes and small businesses. The flexibility of wireless makes it a great solution for businesses of all sizes. Zoom has worked closely with Intersil and their PRISM development package to design products with excellent performance and a price point that allows high-volume sale. "

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/work™ and PRISM/home™ products are used in WLAN systems from industry-leading companies including Alcatel, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, D-Link, Nokia, Nortel, Samsung, Scientific-Atlanta, Siemens, SOHOware, Sony, SpectraLink, Symbol and Zoom.

About Zoom
Zoom Telephonics, a communications leader since 1977, designs, produces and markets dial-up modems, cable and ADSL modems, wireless LAN products, home phone line networking devices, and other data communication products under the Zoom, Hayes and Global Village brands. Zoom products are available in over 3000 of the highest volume computer retailers in the USA and over 5000 retail outlets worldwide.

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 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 WLAN market 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 Web site 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.

PRISM/work and PRISM/home are trademarks of Intersil.

Zoom is a registered trademark and ZoomAir is trademark of Zoom Telephonics.

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

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