News & Events
Intersil’s PRISM technology selected by SOHOware to Deliver Wireless Home Networking to Residential Broadband Customers

-- Momentum building for affordable Wi-Fi wireless networking in the home

IRVINE, CA, January 21, 2001 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), the world’s leading provider of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), announced today that its PRISM® WLAN technology is now integrated into wireless products from SOHOware Inc., a company dedicated to the deployment of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b) wireless networks into the residential market.

Capitalizing on the growing number of households that have a broadband Internet connection (either a cable modem or DSL line) and two or more PCs, SOHOware® utilized Intersil’s PRISM technology to develop its CableFREE Netblaster II™ Series, an affordable and easy-to-install WLAN system capable of linking-up PCs throughout the home to a single broadband connection. SOHOware recently announced that its Netblaster II products are being offered by Time Warner Cable as an affordable home wireless networking option for customers of Time Warner’s Roadrunner High Speed Online™ service in the Wilmington, N.C. market.

“Sharing the broadband connection within the home via Wi-Fi (802.11b) networking has been a target application for PRISM from the beginning,” said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for Intersil’s Wireless Networking Business. “The SOHOware – Time Warner Cable wireless LAN (PRISM-based Wi-Fi) solution now brings the technology into the home as a bundled offering allowing hassle free networking at consumer price points. With prices for Wireless LAN now reaching consumer price points and distribution channels, the home wireless market will soon be here in a very big way.”

Wi-Fi technology clearly makes the most sense for linking up multiple PCs throughout the home, because it avoids the bother of running network cable along floors or through walls. Furthermore, notebooks can be easily carried from one room to another without losing their networking connection, thus allowing family members to maintain access to e-mail and the Internet wherever they need it.

According to market research firm Cahners In-Stat Group, more than 11.5 million broadband Internet connections (4.6 million DSL lines and 6.9 million cable modems) are now in service. And leading analyst firm the Yankee Group predicts more than 12.4 million U.S. homes will adopt home networking capabilities over the next year.

“Today’s subscribers recognize the full advantages of high speed broadband access, but they may not know how easy it is to share Internet access with all family members,” said Andy Chang, vice president of marketing at SOHOware. “With our technology partner Intersil and leading-edge service providers, we’re bridging the gap and turning single-PC broadband users into multi-PC broadband homes.”

Intersil’s PRISM is the most highly integrated WLAN chip set on the market today, delivering wired Ethernet-equivalent data rates and compliance to the Wi-Fi global standard. Optimized for high data rate wireless networking, PRISM-based systems are feature-rich and provide better, more reliable performance in all types of networking environments. “Our experience and ability to deliver cost-effective, low-power solutions is resulting in a growing list of leading home and small office wireless customers like SOHOware," commented Ciaccia.

The Global Wireless Market Embraces PRISM WLAN Technology
“Intersil is the number one manufacturer of wireless LAN chipsets and has been a driving force behind the success of WLANs,” said a May 2001 WLAN report from Cahners In-Stat Group. Since introducing the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996, industry-leading companies including Actiontec, Alcatel, ASUS, Casio, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, D-Link, GemTek, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Legend, Linksys, Nokia, Nortel, Panasonic, Quanta, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, SOHOware, Sony, SpectraLink, Symbol, Z-Com and Zoom have incorporated PRISM chip sets in Wi-Fi product designs. 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.

About SOHOware
Founded in 1990, SOHOware develops business-level networking solutions targeting the SOHO/residential and small-to-medium business (SMB) markets. The company is committed to providing customized solutions that allow broadband service providers (BSPs) worldwide including cable, DSL, satellite and fixed wireless providers, to deliver integrated services (data, voice, video) to subscribers. Leveraging its brand identity to take advantage of emerging technologies and markets, SOHOware offers an open technology platform that empowers BSPs and solution VARs with the broadest possible range of options for market development, deployment and life cycle support in "last mile" delivery of services. More than one million North American broadband subscribers are powered by SOHOware wired and wireless networking products through partnerships with leading BSPs. For more information, call 800/632-1118 or visit the company's Web site at http://www.sohoware.com. About Intersil
Intersil is a global leader in designing innovative wireless networking and high performance analog solutions that enable wireless access to video, data and voice in homes, offices and public places. Creating advanced power management products, Intersil provides reliable solutions for file servers, portable information appliances and over half of all computer microprocessors manufactured today. With a rich, high-performance analog and mixed-signal portfolio, Intersil brings added value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that bring portable connectivity to people wherever they live, work or travel. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Intersil has offices in cities throughout the US, Europe and Asia. 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 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 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 and portable computing devices; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil’s wireless technologies and products in the home and in enterprises, including our embedded LAN applications 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; the effectiveness of Intersil’s expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K, recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other Intersil filings with the U.S. Securities & 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 press release and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
SOHOware is a registered trademark and NetBlaster is a trademark of SOHOware Inc.
Roadrunner High Speed Online is a trademark of AOL Time Warner.
LOONEY TUNES, characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. ©2001
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.