News & Events
Intersil’s PRISM Solution and Sony’s New Communication Protocol Deliver Fast, Wireless Streaming of High Quality Audio and Video Content

— Intersil develops new PCF technology with Sony to allow streaming audio and video

IRVINE, CA, December 19, 2000 — Intersil (NASDAQ: ISIL), the world’s leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) today announced the development of Point Coordination Function (PCF) technology for its PRISM^® WLAN chip set. Sony Corporation and Intersil have worked together to develop PCF technology. PCF technology, in combination with a Sony-developed communication protocol, allows fast, wireless streaming of high-quality audio and video content over IEEE 802.11b wireless networks.

Sony and Intersil jointly evaluated and implemented the PCF technology. The adaptation of PCF for Sony’s new personal IT television in Japan called "airboard" represents the first practical application of this technology. During product development, Sony also selected Intersil’s PRISM technology because of its fast, 11 megabit-per-second (Mbps) data rate and its widespread adoption. The PRISM solution with PCF and a communication protocol developed by Sony allows the product to operate to the IEEE’s 802.11b standard and gives Japanese "airboard" users the convenience of Internet access and video viewing from a single, portable LCD monitor from anywhere in the home.

"We share Sony’s vision that broadband Internet services and wireless connectivity will revolutionize 802.11-based entertainment options in the home," said Greg Williams, CEO and president of Intersil Corporation. "Significant for Intersil, this is the first commercial use of PCF in an 802.11b product and represents a major win for our PRISM/home™ product line. Intersil’s PRISM WLAN solution and the communication protocol developed by Sony is further evidence of the growing acceptance of 802.11b for the home and promises to liberate consumers from complicated information appliances while stimulating a home networking market segment aimed at a new range of users."

Intersil’s PRISM WLAN Solution Selected by Sony

PRISM II is a highly integrated WLAN chip set, delivering wireless Ethernet networking with compliance to the IEEE’s 802.11b global standard. Optimized for high data rate (11 Mbps) performance, PRISM II-based systems provide fast, reliable performance in all types of networking environments. Advanced design and process technologies reduce power consumption, design complexity and total system cost.

Intersil will host a conference call on Wednesday, December 20 at 1pm EST to provide an update on the PRISM/home strategy and additional information regarding this announcement. The listen only phone number for this conference call is 877-223-2648 or listen to the webcast by accessing Intersil’s web site at www.intersil.com.

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, Nokia, Nortel, Samsung, Siemens, SOHOware, Sony, SpectraLink, Symbol Technologies, and Zoom.

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, 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.

Intersil’s PRISM WLAN Solution Selected by Sony

This press release contains statements relating to certain projections and business trends concerning the WLAN home market and the personal IT television 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 the WLAN home market and the personal IT television market include, but are not limited to, the rate at which consumers adopt personal IT television systems; and wireless connectivity as home entertainment options; 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 and PRISM/work and PRISM/home are trademarks of Intersil Corporation.

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

Sony’s "airboard" is currently only available in Japan.

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