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Intersil and Z-Com Deliver Wi-Fi Connectivity for Casio's New BE-300 Pocket Manager and Other Handheld Computing Products
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2001--
Z-Com's PRISM-based Compact Flash WLAN card powers new Casio PDAs and sub-notebooks
Intersil Corporation (Nasdaq:ISIL), the world's leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks
(WLANs), today announced that Z-Com's Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b) compliant Compact Flash(R) (CF) WLAN cards based on
Intersil's PRISM(R) technology have been optimized for Casio's new Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) products. The new line
of CASSIOPEIAs(R) and their enhanced new features are the perfect tool for wireless connectivity using Z-Com's CF WLAN
card.
Z-Com's PRISM-based LANEscape(TM) WLAN cards for the CASSIOPEIA PDAs and Sub-Notebooks are the latest
peripheral items, a new generation of rugged computing appliances optimized for harsh working environments such as
construction sites. Z-Com's XI-800 and XI-825 CF WLAN cards -- based on Intersil's PRISM II and PRISM 2.5 chip sets --
provides CASSIOPEIA notebook and select PDA users complete mobility while maintaining connectivity to a wired network
via an access point.
"It's exciting to see Z-Com's PRISM-based Compact Flash card being utilized by a market leader such as Casio to deliver
Wi-Fi wireless capability in ever-smaller devices such as PDAs and sub-notebook handheld devices," said Larry Ciaccia, vice
president and general manager for Intersil's Wireless Networking Business. "The new CASSIOPEIA products further
underscore the growing adoption of PRISM and Wi-Fi for emerging handheld Internet appliances."
Utilizing Intersil's PRISM 2 and 2.5 chip sets, Z-Com's CF WLAN cards operate in the 2.4 GHz Industrial Scientific and
Medical (ISM) band at the IEEE 802.11b-compliant high-data-rate speed of 11 megabits per second (Mbps).
Z-Com's XI-800 is a PRISM 2-based CF card with coverage over 500 feet in an open area, and the XI-825 is PRISM
2.5-based and features an ultra slim form factor. 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.
"Z-Com recognizes the need for high-quality silicon solutions as well as superior end products in order to sustain the high
demand for wireless networking devices," said Don Chu, executive vice president at Z-Com. "Intersil's PRISM chip sets
provide the most powerful wireless networking solutions available on the market today for manufacturing Wi-Fi wireless
devices, enabling Z-Com to quickly develop and bring our CF WLAN cards to major consumer electronics companies such as
Casio."
CASSIOPEIA units designed to work with Z-Com's CF WLAN cards include the CASSIOPEIA E-125 and recently
announced CASSIOPEIA E-200 series Pocket PCs, the CASSIOPEIA EG-800 series and IT-700 series Corporate and
Industrial Pocket PC's, the CASSIOPEIA MPC-206 and 501 series Sub-notebook and the new CASSIOPEIA BE-300,
Windows CE Pocket Manager.
Z-Com worked closely with Casio's engineers to provide (IEEE802.11b) compliant wireless Compact Flash (CF) WLAN
cards for ease of use in a wireless corporate network environment for the new CASSIOPEIA Pocket Manager BE-300. Priced
under $300, the BE-300 includes a 32K color touch screen display and is highly expandable. The BE-300 includes a USB/Serial
Connector, a Compact Flash card slot (Type II). It is Casio's first PDA model to feature an optional PC Card unit (Model
JK-865PU with a list price of only $159.00) that accepts a variety of expansion PC Card modules including wireless LAN cards
and wireless modems. The Pocket Manager series features an open development framework based on Windows CE 3.0
operating system, which provides software developers an easy method to port over popular business applications.
The new CASSIOPEIA units all feature robust business applications for the demanding mobile professional and browser
software (modem required-sold separately) for easy Internet access. The EG-800STD, Industrial CASSIOPEIA is a 65,536
Color Palm-size device which uses the new Microsoft Pocket PC operating system and is perfect for many business
applications. The EG-800STD can be used with such optional hardware accessories as Bar Code Laser Scanners, Wireless
Data Communication Devices or with the Casio Digital Camera Compact Flash Card.
"Casio's CASSIOPEIA PDAs and Sub-Notebooks offer a unique, user-friendly interface and deliver superior wireless
connectivity with Windows PCs at price points that encourage widespread consumer adoption," said Gary Schultz, director of
marketing for Casio's Mobile Information Products Division. "Z-Com's PRISM-based XI-800 and XI-825 CF WLAN cards
have given us the ability to offer our customers reliable, high-speed wireless networking.
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.
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