News & Events
Siemens Selects Intersil's PRISM® Chip Set For New Wireless Network I-Gate With USB

Siemens’ modular PC network with USB interface allows uncomplicated entry into a cable-free world of wirelessly linked PCs, notebooks and printers

IRVINE, CA, June 19, 2000 — Intersil Corporation, the world's leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), today announced that Intersil's PRISM^® WLAN Chip Set is incorporated in the new Siemens I-Gate 11M USB wireless networking product. This new product includes high-speed, 11 megabits per second (Mbps) operation along with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface making it one of the fastest, easiest to use wireless networking solutions on the market.

The USB interface allows fast, easy set-up of WLANs in homes or offices. Since almost all current desktop PCs and notebooks are equipped with USB ports, installing a wireless network is simple, with no need to open computer boxes and fiddle with new boards. Even the computer novice can easily connect multiple PCs and peripherals in a high-speed wireless network that is designed to comply to the IEEE 802.11b standard and will carry the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance’s (WECA) Wi-Fi™ seal of compatibility.

"The new I-Gate product is significant because it's so easy to install and use," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager of Intersil's PRISM Wireless Products business. "It attaches to desktop PCs and notebooks via the USB port, which is as easy as it gets. Though small and very user friendly, it’s a fast, robust system that complies to a widely deployed global standard. In fact, this Siemens announcement further validates the worldwide acceptance of the IEEE802.11 standard for both home and office wireless networking."

The new Siemens’ I-Gate 11M USB follows the first I-Gate product introduced at CeBIT 2000; like the earlier product, it provides IEEE 802.11 operation at speeds up to 11 Mbps. It is also downwardly-compatible with earlier 2 Mbps I-Gate products previously introduced. The significant advancement is the addition of the USB interface to focus on the new generation of "Easy PCs" being offered by all major computer manufacturers. The current USB product supports Windows 98 and 2000; drivers for Mac OS and Linux will follow soon.

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, the 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 802.11 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 chips are used in WLAN systems from industry-leading companies including Nokia, Siemens, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, Nortel, Samsung, SpectraLink, Symbol, and Zoom.

About Intersil
Intersil uses its semiconductor expertise to enable highly integrated voice, data and video communications. Intersil's integrated communications portfolio includes PRISM^® Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) chip sets that enable mobile connectivity products for the home and office; analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband access to wireless and wired Wide Area Networks (WANs); and power management products that enable 24x7 reliability in network servers, next generation PCs and information appliances. For more information about Intersil, visit the company's Internet homepage at www.intersil.com.

This press release contains information relating to the growing demand for wireless products 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 our 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. These forward-looking statements 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 the 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 wireless 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. 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 Corporation.