wireless LAN vs. UMTS - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[DagosBert_II]

Heute morgen bringt die FTD die Meldung:

wireless LAN wird UMTS in Ballungszentren den Rang ablaufen.
Inoffiziell würde wireless LAN schon als G4 (vierte
Mobilfunkgeneration) bezeichnet. Der Artikel betont, daß
diese Entwicklung gefährlich für die UMTS-Anbieter sei,
da die Investitionen für wireless so niedrig seien, daß
z.B. Flughäfen den Service kostenlosen Internetzugang
für Geschäftsreisende demnächst anbieten. Die Zugangs-
geschwindigkeit über wL liege 170 fach über der von
UMTS, etc.

Dies klingt alles sehr plausibel. Da stellt sich für mich
die Frage:
Wer bietet Wireless LAN an? Wer sind die Gerätehersteller,
die demnächst den großen Reibach machen.

Ich habe neulich ein freundlich blinkendes
ELSA-Modem gesehen. Ich glaube, daß es sich noch nicht
rumgesprochen hat, welches Potential in dieser Technik
liegt.

Grüß
Dago

Es ist fein, ein Trüffelschwein zu sein

[Gintu]

Can You Kiss 3G Goodbye -- and Still Make a Buck?
By Dave Nadig
Special to TheStreet.com
Originally posted at 6:32 PM ET 4/10/01 on RealMoney.com






Permit me to throw a stick of dynamite in the room: Third generation, or 3G , wireless is dead before it was even born. And after billions wasted on 3G, it`s going to be replaced by free wireless local area networks, or LANs.

A technology that the cell-phone industry is spending untold billions on, 3G promises to deliver high-speed data precisely where you don`t need it -- on your phone. On the other hand, homes, offices, coffee shops, airports and hotels are building out cheap and grass-roots wireless local area networks that deliver even higher-speed access where you do need it -- your personal digital assistant and your laptop.

Monday`s Wall Street Journal ran a piece on this by Andy Kessler, a technology analyst turned fund manager and pundit -- not to mention a former columnist in good standing for TheStreet.com.

Kessler declares the 802.11b wireless LAN standard the victor in the battle for the next step in the evolution of the Internet. I agree with Andy, but he fails to answer the most important question for investors: How can you make money on this?

If you want to own the real innovator in the 802.11b space, Apple Computer (AAPL:Nasdaq - news) was there first. Apple`s "Airport" system was the first consumer-targeted 802.11b network. It is well designed, and is now infused in the entire Apple product line. Like so many innovations, the cult of Steve Jobs has been instrumental in pushing "the rest of us" into wireless LANs.

But in the end, Apple is just a small proprietary boxmaker. The real winner in 802.11b (for an explanation of 802.11b, see this column by Jim Seymour) is going to be the company that dominates the components that everyone is going to have to buy if they want to play in this sandbox. And that`s Intersil (ISIL:Nasdaq - news).

Intersil is the enabler of the 802.11b revolution. Intersil`s Prism chipsets power more 802.11b networks than anyone else, and its technology is right out there on the bleeding edge. It is profitable, and Intersil is divesting itself of its slow-growth businesses, making it a pure play and developing a strong balance sheet at the same time.

So how much of this is real, and how much is hype?

As a loyal user, I can tell you that 802.11b local access networks are, in fact, giving sliced bread a run for its money. I have one installed in my home office, and it is fast, easy and just plain cool.

I can drag my laptop anywhere in the house -- including the hammock in my garden -- and never loose one tick of the market data streaming through the T-1 in the basement. And installing my wireless local access network was one of those rare satori-like moments of perfect bliss -- I just plugged it in and it worked. When was the last time a piece of technology did that for you?

But does it work in other locations? You bet -- perfectly. Airports, coffee shops and other peoples` offices. I have had success at all of them. Sometimes there`s a subscription or a connection fee, and sometimes it just works. Either way, it`s easy and fast.

And it`s only going to get cooler. Intersil announced last week that it has worked with Z-Com to produce the first 802.11b compact flash card. Why is this important? Because it means that a host of devices -- everything from PocketPCs to cameras, theoretically -- can now support a high-speed wireless connection. Expect to see Intersil`s tiny chipset in add-ons for pretty much every PDA format this year.

The costs are really quite minimal, and the technology is so simple that it inspires creativity. Community networks are sprouting up all over the place, helping to solve the last-mile problem in cities like Boston and San Francisco.

And the gorillas are supporting it. Microsoft (MSFT:Nasdaq - news) has abandoned the Bluetooth wireless standard in favor of 802.11b. Mister Softee is making a big bet on PocketPCs, TabletPCs and living room domination. And 802.11b is the wireless standard it is anointing as the way to connect it all. And Intel (INTC:Nasdaq - news) has stepped away from a lower-speed, proprietary technology from Proxim (PROX:Nasdaq - news) called HomeRF, in favor of the open standards-based 802.11b.

There are warts on this frog though, no matter how much of a prince it may be. 802.11b`s ease of use comes with a trade-off in security. But remember what happened the last time we had a nearly insecurable open standard in networking -- we ended up with the Internet (God help us all).

Now let`s look at 3G. I may be a technophile, but even I`m not suggesting that 802.11b networks are going to replace cell phones. But it is possible, I suppose. Two years ago you probably could have floated an IPO on the idea: "Ya see, we get all these coffee shops to sign up, then we give away all these personal digital assistants with headsets, and we make zillions!" But not today.

So this leaves us with a classic convergence problem: For most folks, a tiny, simple phone is all they ever want. 3G is pointless, because these people want something the size of a pea with voice-activated dialing and no screen. For some unknown fraction of consumers, the opposite is true: Their ultimate phone is complex and replaces their PDA. There are many examples of this happening already -- monster screens, Palm operating systems, long-life batteries -- they`re all making their way into the hands of early adopters.

But do you really want to hold that kind of brick up to your head all day? Worse, do you really need to watch streaming video on a 2-inch screen while you`re driving? Alas, this is a case where convergence is doomed, and one-device-per function is where the smart money is. Small will continue to be beautiful in phones, while the shrinking of PDAs will run into ergonomic limits. Like laptops, there is a minimum usable size for PDAs: You need to be able to see the screen, navigate and enter data in some way.

And if you plan to get data into your PDA, 3G is just a terrible way to do it. It`s slow. It`s primarily designed for voice. It`s not based on open architecture, so things such as instant messaging are extremely difficult to implement.

And then there`s the matter of cost. In Europe, more than $70 billion is being spent by carriers just to acquire the spectrum for 3G. Texas Instruments (TXN:NYSE - news) is so desperate to find a killer application for 3G that it has set up a $100 million venture fund to help companies develop 3G services.

So on the one hand, you have the wireless carriers spending billions and billions to build out a mediocre high-speed data network that no one is really sure is in demand.

On the other, you have cheap, grass-roots technology that already is solving wireless networking problems that real people have, using open standards and free spectrum.

Sounds like the 3G guys are pushing on a string to me. Or maybe that`s a wire. Wait --- isn`t this supposed to be wireless?

[Gintu]

Wednesday April 25, 4:01 pm Eastern Time
Press Release
Intersil Announces First Quarter Earnings
-- Grows revenue 9% compared to same quarter of 2000
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2001-- -- Achieves adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $.07, beating

consensus estimates by $.02

-- Completes Q1 with $600 million cash and zero debt

Intersil Holding Corporation (Nasdaq:ISIL - news) today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 30, 2001. Compared to the same period in the prior year, sales grew 9% to $127.8 million, a 22% decrease from the previous quarter. Adjusted net income, excluding the gain on the sale of the discrete power business and certain one-time charges, was $8.1 million or $.07 per diluted share of common stock. Net income including the one-time items was $38.4 million or $.35 per diluted share of common stock.

``Although industry conditions remain difficult, order cancellations and push-outs have slowed significantly and we maintained a book to bill ratio greater than 0.8 during our first quarter. We also experienced increasing demand for our power management products and strong product design-in activity by many of our wireless access customers,`` said Greg Williams, Intersil`s President and CEO. ``We completed several strategic actions during the first quarter and are enthusiastic about our opportunities for future growth when industry conditions improve.``

Intersil`s gross margins for the first quarter were 48% - in line with expectations but down from the previous quarter, primarily due to lower sales. Intersil achieved significant improvement in its balance sheet during the quarter, increasing its cash position to over $600 million while completing a bond tender that eliminated all of the company`s debt.

Results by Product Group

Wireless Access

Intersil`s Wireless Access sales grew 62% from the same quarter in 2000 to $35.9 million.

``Although we`ve seen an order slowdown as many of our customers are experiencing inventory corrections, we are encouraged by recent product design activities for both the enterprise and home markets,`` said Williams. ``We believe that recent decisions by Intel and Microsoft to support IEEE`s 802.11b underscores the widespread acceptance and market penetration of this global WLAN standard and Intersil`s leading solutions.``

Intersil is the world`s number one supplier of wireless LAN semiconductors for the enterprise market and continues to win multiple designs for the small office and home markets. During the first quarter of 2001, Intersil won designs with five major laptop PC manufacturers. These programs should reach volume production in the second half of 2001, as laptop PCs become widely available with a built-in wireless LAN option powered by Intersil. In addition, Intersil continues to supply chip sets and firmware for PCMCIA client cards and recently collaborated with Z-Com on the world`s first 802.11b WLAN card in a miniature Compact Flash® form factor.

Intersil also announced a partnership with Philips Components to develop multiple PRISM-based products. Among these products is Philips` new Net Display Module, the industry`s first in-panel, system-board integrated touch-screen LCD that standardizes the enabling architecture of Internet appliances.

Today Intersil announced the world`s first three-chip 802.11b radio, PRISM 3. PRISM 3 uses Intersil`s unique single-chip medium access controller/baseband processor and a single RF component that provides direct down conversion and integrates several expensive components. PRISM 3 is portable, highly integrated and enables lower bill of material costs while maintaining the radio range and quality of previous PRISM product generations.

``PRISM 3 will make wireless networking even more widespread than it is today,`` said Williams. ``Intersil is well ahead of 802.11b competition, offering unique designs and complementary software for global customers first.``

Communications Analog

Intersil`s Communications Analog sales were $42.6 million during the first quarter, down 4% from the same period in 2000.

``Despite a slowdown in the overall communications analog market, we realized solid growth and continued to gain market share within the power management segment,`` said Williams. ``Sales of our power management ICs within communications analog grew 30% over the same quarter of 2000, and gross margins for these products improved significantly over the sequential quarter. We continue to win new designs for our Endura(TM) family of power management ICs for high-end PCs and network servers. Our desktop PC market share is increasing and we remain the dominant supplier of ICs that power high performance microprocessors and network servers.``

``One of the fastest growing areas of the power management market is smart battery ICs, and Intersil recently completed a strategic investment in PowerSmart to develop ICs and software that address these applications,`` added Williams. ``We believe that this strategic alliance will help provide significant growth and extend margins within our communications analog portfolio. Our company is uniquely positioned to provide high-data-rate wireless access and manage power - two market opportunities that offer major growth potential.``

Other Analog

Sales of Intersil`s other analog products were $49.3 million during the first quarter of 2001, down 4% from the same quarter of 2000.

``We experienced slowing demand for our other analog products, particularly those aimed at automotive and industrial markets, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2000,`` said Williams. ``This accelerated our decision to exit the automotive IC business and begin a phased closure/sale of our Findlay, Ohio plant operations. Automotive margins are significantly below our communications and other analog products. We anticipate that the consolidation of our manufacturing operations will improve operating performance through increased efficiencies. The plant closure will be completed during the next 12-18 months, while the company continues to pursue potential buyers of the automotive IC business and the facility.``

One-time Items

During the first quarter, Intersil completed the sale of its discrete power product group to Fairchild Semiconductor. Upon completion of the sale, Intersil recognized a gain of $168.4 million and recorded net expenses associated with the discrete power business of $2.6 million prior to the sale. Intersil also announced its planned closure of the Findlay facility, recording a charge for the associated impairment of plant and equipment of $7.6 million, and recognized a restructuring charge of $32.4 million primarily related to workforce reductions.

The company recorded an inventory charge of $19.2 million due to the exit of product lines and obsolescence related to changing market conditions. Intersil wrote down an equity investment by $8.2 million during the quarter and eliminated its remaining debt through a successful bond tender, recording an after-tax charge of $12.2 million.

``These actions were taken to help ensure that Intersil remains competitive in the near term while maintaining our strategic focus,`` added Williams. ``As we continue to invest in our future, Intersil dedicated 21% of Q1 sales to research & development.``

Business Outlook

``We expect revenue in the second quarter of 2001 to be down 5-8%, which is better than the overall industry outlook, and anticipate that our gross margins will be flat with Q1,`` said Williams. ``Due to improvement in our selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses and income generated from our solid balance sheet, we expect earnings per share of approximately $.07 during our second quarter. We believe that our balanced portfolio and strong balance sheet improve our financial stability during current industry conditions, and our focus on wireless access and communications analog markets helps position us for growth when the industry recovers.``

Investors and interested parties within the United States may listen to Intersil`s conference call today at 1:30 p.m. Pacific/4:30 p.m. Eastern by dialing [phone] and providing the operator with the pass code Intersil. International callers may connect to the call by dialing [phone]. A replay of Intersil`s conference call will be available starting at 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern by calling [phone] in the US or [phone] Internationally. Confirmation code for the replay, available until May 2, 2001, is 7061. A live webcast will also be available on Intersil`s Internet homepage at http://www.intersil.com/investor/index.asp.

About Intersil

Irvine, California-based 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 the development of products tailored for high-growth communications markets. For more information about Intersil, visit the company`s Internet homepage at www.intersil.com.


Intersil Holding Corporation
Financial Summary (Adjusted)
(In millions, except per share amounts and percentages)

Three Months Ended

3/30/01 3/31/00

Revenue $ 127.8 $ 117.7
Year/Year Growth 9%

Gross Margin (% of Sales) 48% 43%

Adjusted Operating Income 8.9 6.6
% of Sales 7% 6%

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) 8.1 (3.3)
% of Sales 6% -3%

Adjusted EPS
Basic $ 0.08 (0.04)
Diluted $ 0.07 (0.04)

Weighted Average Shares
Basic 105.3 75.0
Diluted 108.6 75.0

NOTE: This financial summary excludes amortization of intangibles,
impairments, restructuring, extraordinary items and other one-time
items.


Intersil Holding Corporation
Statements of Operations
(In millions, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended

3/30/01 3/31/00
Revenue
Product sales $ 127.8 $ 117.7
Costs and Expenses
Cost of product sales 85.6 67.4
Research and development 26.8 18.1
Selling, general & administrative 25.7 25.6
Intangible amortization 11.7 2.0
Impairment of long-lived assets 7.6 --
Restructuring 32.4 --
Other -- 1.3
------- -------
Operating income (loss) (62.0) 3.3
Interest, net (3.2) 11.7
Impairment on investments 8.2 --
------- -------
Loss before sale of certain assets,
income taxes and extraordinary item (67.0) (8.4)
Operating results of certain operations
disposed of during 2001
Net sales 38.4 53.2
Costs and expenses (41.0) (39.7)
------- -------
(2.6) 13.5
Gain on sale of certain operations 168.4 --
------- -------
165.8 13.5
------- -------
Income before income taxes and
extraordinary item 98.8 5.1
Income taxes 48.2 2.3
------- -------
Income before extraordinary item 50.6 2.8
Extraordinary item - loss on
extinguishment of debt, net of tax effect (12.2) (25.5)
------- -------
Net income (loss) 38.4 (22.7)
Preferred dividends -- (1.5)
------- -------
Net income (loss) to common shareholders $ 38.4 $ (24.2)
======= =======

EPS
Basic
Income before extraordinary item $ 0.48 $ 0.02
Extraordinary item (0.12) (0.34)
------- -------
Net income (loss) $ 0.36 $ (0.32)
======= =======

Diluted
Income before extraordinary item $ 0.46 $ 0.02
Extraordinary item (0.11) (0.34)
------- -------
Net income (loss) $ 0.35 $ (0.32)
======= =======

Weighted Average Shares
Basic 105.3 75.0
======= =======
Diluted 108.6 75.0
======= =======

Intersil Holding Corporation
Balance Sheets
(In millions)

Mar. 30, Dec. 29,
2001 2000
Assets
Current Assets
Cash $ 606.0 $ 352.6
Trade receivables, net 99.8 124.0
Inventories 72.4 126.2
Prepaid expenses and other current
assets 9.2 10.6
Deferred income taxes 27.8 27.7
------------ ------------
Total Current Assets 815.2 641.1
Other Assets
Property, plant & equipment, net 128.6 235.6
Intangibles, net 272.4 307.2
Other 37.5 45.9
------------ ------------
Total Other Assets 438.5 588.7
------------ ------------
Total Assets $ 1,253.7 $ 1,229.8
============ ============

Liabilities and Shareholders` Equity
Current Liabilities
Trade account payables $ 25.0 $ 43.2
Income taxes payable 37.6 1.7
Other accrued items 107.2 72.8
Long-term debt - current portion - 0.5
------------ ------------
Total Current Liabilities 169.8 118.2
Other Liabilities
Deferred income taxes 35.6 35.6
Long-term debt - 65.0
Total Shareholders` Equity 1,048.3 1,011.0
------------ ------------
Total Liabilities and
Shareholders` Equity $ 1,253.7 $ 1,229.8
============ ============


Intersil Holding Corporation
Financial Highlights
(In millions, except per share amounts)

Adjustments to reconcile reported net income applicable to common
shareholders to adjusted net income:

Three Months Three Months
Ended Ended
March 30, March 31,
2001 2000

Net income (loss) $ 38.4 $ (22.7)

a) Amortization of acquisition-related
intangibles 11.7 2.0

b) Impairment of long-lived assets 7.6 --

c) Restructuring 32.4 --

d) Impairment on investments 8.2 --

e) Operating results of certain operations
sold 2.6 (13.5)

f) Gain on sale of certain operations (168.4) --

g) Excess inventory charge 19.2 --

h) Other -- 1.3

i) Associated tax effects 44.2 4.0

j) Loss on extinguishment of debt
(net of tax) 12.2 25.5
------- ------

Adjusted Net Income $ 8.1 $ (3.3)
======= ======

Diluted Adjusted earnings per share $ 0.07 $ (0.04)
======= ======

Diluted Adjusted earnings common shares 108.6 75.0
======= ======

Note: Amounts may not add due to rounding.

[Gintu]

ISIL nach Zahlen +24%

[TomTrader]

Hi Gintu,

wer soll das denn alles lesen?

[Gintu]

jemand der sich für WLAN interessiert

okay hier die beiden wichtigsten Aussagen aus dem TheStreet.com Artikel
-----------------------------------------
Kessler declares the 802.11b wireless LAN standard the victor in the battle for the next step in the evolution of the Internet. I agree with Andy, but he fails to answer the most important question for investors: How can you make money on this?

The real winner in 802.11b (for an explanation of 802.11b, see this column by Jim Seymour) is going to be the company that dominates the components that everyone is going to have to buy if they want to play in this sandbox. And that`s Intersil (ISIL:Nasdaq - news).

[BigBlender]

Leider gibt es bei W-LAN heftige Sicherheitsprobleme, die zumindest im B2B-Bereich gravierende Konsequenzen haben.
Ich stell mal nur den Abstract von einer neuen Untersuchung hier rein...

Your 802.11 Wireless Network has No Clothes¤
William A. Arbaugh
Narendar Shankar
Y.C. Justin Wan
Department of Computer Science
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland 20742
March 30, 2001
Abstract
The explosive growth in wireless networks over the last few years
resembles the rapid growth of the Internet within the last decade. During
the beginning of the commercialization of the Internet, organizations
and individuals connected without concern for the security of
their system or network. Over time, it became apparent that some
form of security was required to prevent outsiders from exploiting the
connected resources. To protect the internal resources, organizations
usually purchased and installed an Internet firewall.
We believe that the current wireless access points present a larger
security problem than the early Internet connections. A large number
of organizations, based on vendor literature, believe that the security
provided by their deployed wireless access points is sufficient to prevent
unauthorized access and use. Unfortunately, nothing could be
further from the truth. While the current access points provide sev-eral
security mechanisms, our work combined with the work of others
show that ALL of these mechanisms are completely in-effective. As a
result, organizations with deployed wireless networks are vulnerable to
unauthorized use of, and access to, their internal infrastructure.

Copyright 2001 William A. Arbaugh, Narendar Shankar, and Y.C.Justin Wan. All rights reserved.

[Gintu]

Intel und Microsoft setzen auf Funk-LANs

Microsoft und Intel vollziehen offenbar einen Sinneswandel in der Frage, welches der drahtlosen Datenübertragungsverfahren künftig das Rennen machen wird: Vertreter beider Firmen gehören neuerdings zu den einflussreichen Direktoriumsmitgliedern der Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), die unter dem Schlagwort Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) die Interoperabilität von Geräten nach dem Standard 802.11b weltweit zertifiziert.

Bisher hatten sich Microsoft und Intel für die Kurzstrecken-Funktechnik Bluetooth stark gemacht. In der Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) haben die beiden "Big Player" im Computer-Business seit geraumer Zeit den hervorgehobenen Status eines "Promoter"-Mitglieds und arbeiteten eng mit der Computer-Industrie zusammen, um die Bluetooth-Übertragungstechnik standardmäßig zu implementieren. Jedoch hat die 802.11b-Technik für beide Firmen einen entscheidenden Vorteil: Während Bluetooth es trotz zahlreicher Vorschusslorbeeren bisher nicht geschafft hat, sich richtig im Markt zu etablieren, erobern Funk-LANs nach dem 802.11b-Standard mehr und mehr Terrain.

Zwar ermöglicht auch die Bluetooth-Technologie preisgünstige Funkverbindungen, weil sie wie 802.11b das nicht durch Reglementierungen eingeschränkte 2,4-GHz-Band benutzt, doch können Geräte bislang nur in einem Umkreis von etwa zehn Metern miteinander kommunizieren. Zertifizierte Wi-FI-LANs hingegen überbrücken typischerweise Distanzen von 30 bis 50 Metern innerhalb eines Gebäudes; im Freien auch mehr. Auch im Hinblick auf die Geschwindigkeit hat Bluetooth es mit nur etwa 1 MBit/s Brutto-Datendurchsatz schwer: Funk-LANs nach dem Standard 802.11b schaffen 11 MBit/s.

Erste Anzeichen für die jetzige Entwicklung hatte es aber schon im Frühjahr gegeben. Zunächst teilte Intel im März mit, dass man die angekündigte Netzwerkserie AnyPoint auf HomeRF-Basis nicht in Deutschland vertreiben werde, weil diese nicht mit dem in Deutschland gängigen Wireless-LAN-Standard 802.11 arbeite. Man wolle sich statt dessen mit der 2011-Serie auf den deutschen WLAN-Markt konzentrieren. Mit einer Übertragungsrate von bis zu 11 MBit/s sei Wireless-LAN leistungsfähiger und habe damit in Deutschland bessere Verkaufschancen. Im April hatte Microsoft nachgezogen und erklärt, dass Bluetooth derzeit noch zu unausgereift sei und man daher darauf verzichte, entsprechende Funktionen in Windows XP einzubauen

Quelle: http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/pmz-01.08.01-000/

[Gintu]

und noch einer

Wednesday August 1, 7:58 am Eastern Time
Press Release
Intersil`s PRISM 2.5 Mini-PCI WLAN Solution Powers New IBM ThinkPad T23 Series Notebook Computers
Thinkpad T23 Series to Deliver Off-The-Shelf Wi-Fi Wireless Connectivity for Mobile PC Users
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2001-- Intersil (Nasdaq:ISIL - news), the world`s leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) today announced that IBM® (NYSE:IBM - news) is utilizing Intersil`s PRISM® 2.5 Mini-PCI to deliver embedded Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless connectivity in its new ThinkPad® T23 Series notebook computers.

The ThinkPad T23 Series laptops are lightweight, high-performance mobile computers powered by a mobile Intel® Pentium® III processor. The ThinkPad is also optimized for wireless networking with a built-in antenna and an embedded Mini-PCI wireless networking card that delivers remote broadband connectivity to the Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) standard. The ThinkPad`s flexible communications bay can accommodate dial-up modem, 10/100 ethernet and Wi-Fi wireless LAN, including the new combination modem and wireless LAN combo Mini-PCI card. Using the new ThinkPads, business travelers can achieve fast connections to the Internet and their company network remotely from public locations such as hotels, airports and convention centers, serviced by third party providers.

``We`re very pleased that IBM chose our PRISM 2.5 solution for their exciting new ThinkPad notebooks. The significant board space reduction achieved by the PRISM 2.5 chip set enabled IBM to incorporate dual-mode networking capabilities - 802.11b and V.90 modem - on the ThinkPad T23 computers,`` said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager of Intersil`s Wireless Networking Business. ``As notebook Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) accelerate their move to embedded wireless LAN designs, Intersil`s highly-integrated PRISM 2.5 Mini-PCI card is becoming the silicon design of choice due to its high performance, low cost and low power consumption.``

The PRISM 2.5 solution features the world`s first single-chip Baseband Processor (BBP) and Medium Access Controller (MAC) that integrates digital functions normally done by two ICs. The integrated BBP/MAC includes a PCMCIA and USB interface that will allow OEMs to easily add a USB interface into next-generation Wi-Fi wireless networking products for the home and office. A BBP/MAC with Mini-PCI interface for manufacturing electronic devices requiring embedded applications is also available.

``Intersil`s PRISM 2.5 wireless networking chip set is housed on a small form factor Mini-PCI card that allows IBM to design `embedded` wireless LAN capability directly into the internal design of the ThinkPad 23,`` said Peter Hortensius, vice president of development, IBM Personal Computing Devices. ``This provides off-the-shelf wireless capability for our customers and eliminates the need for external add-in cards.``

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, over 50 of the industry-leading companies including Actiontec, Alcatel, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, D-Link, IBM, Linksys, Nokia, Nortel, Samsung, Scientific-Atlanta, Siemens, SOHOware, Sony, SpectraLink, Symbol and Zoom have incorporated PRISM chips in more than 100 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.