Intersil's PRISM 2.5 Chip Set Enables Z-Com's Wi-Fi Certified CF Card; LANEscape XI-825 is World's First Compact Flash Card to Receive Wi-Fi Certification.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 2002

Intersil Corporation (Nasdaq:ISIL), the world's leading provider of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), today announced that Z-Com, Inc., has integrated the PRISM(R) 2.5 chip set into the world's first IEEE 802.11b-compliant Compact Flash(R) Type II WLAN card to receive Wi-Fi certification from the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), whose Wi-Fi brand is a mark of compatibility for 802.11-based systems.

"Z-Com's new LANEscape(TM) XI-825 Compact Flash (CF) WLAN card enables 11 megabits-per-second (Mbps) wireless networking in Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and other compact electronic devices," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for Intersil's Wireless Networking Business. "Utilizing Intersil's PRISM 2.5 chip set, Z-Com was able to create a very small compact flash card designed for Wi-Fi Pocket PC and PDAs users to connect to the Internet or corporate network."

The new PRISM-based CF card supports various PDA and portable platforms and is available with Windows CE 3.0 drivers. The XI-825 supports Microsoft Windows CE 3.0, Pocket PC 2002, ME, 95, 98 and 2000 operating systems. The small CF form factor provides portable users complete mobility while maintaining connectivity to a wired network via an access point. The CF card operates in the 2.4 GHz Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band at the IEEE 802.11b-compliant high-data-rate speed of 11 Mbps and is downward compatible with older 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps systems.

"Intersil's PRISM 2.5 chip set provided the perfect architecture for Z-Com to develop our LANEscape Compact Flash WLAN Card," said Don Chu, executive vice president at Z-Com. "Wi-Fi certification guarantees consumers that our PRISM-based CF card is completely interoperable with other Wi-Fi certified 802.11b products."

Intersil's PRISM 2.5 wireless networking chip set is optimized for smaller form factors and embedded WLAN applications such as mini-PCI, USB or Compact Flash that are much smaller and are typically installed directly into the system during product assembly. PRISM 2.5 delivers wireless Ethernet networking with compliance to the Wi-Fi (IEEE's 802.11b) global standard. Optimized for high data rate (11 Mbps) performance, PRISM-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. PRISM 2.5-based products will provide users with wireless access to networks and the Internet for fast and efficient transmission of data, video and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

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 chips in WLAN 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 Z-Com

Z-Com Inc., established in 1995, develops, manufactures, and markets a series of high-performance, local/wide area wireless data products and solutions for wireless Internet access and various mobile data applications. Z-Com's headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in Science-Based Industrial Park of Hsinchu, Taiwan with a wholly-owned sales subsidiary in Los Angeles, CA. Together with Taiwan's strength in product engineering and competitive manufacturing, Z-Com has formed a valuable network of resources with an expertise in communication system engineering, radio technology, protocol engineering, networking technologies, and manufacturing capabilities among others.

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 http://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, 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, its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other Intersil filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") (which you may obtain for free at the SEC's Web site at http://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 to revise these forward-looking statements.

PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.

LANEscape is a trademark of Z-Com, Inc

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