3.07.2000 ET

(CSRwire) Intel Corporation announced a new benefit program to offer computers, Internet access and services at no charge to all Intel employees worldwide. The new Intel® Home PC Program will help employees and their families participate fully in the information revolution and take advantage of the educational and e-Commerce opportunities on the Internet.

As part of this new program, employees will receive systems based on high-end microprocessor and hardware configurations. The Intel Home PC Program will allow employees to have secure access to information about corporate benefits programs, training, and communications via PCs and the Internet for employees and family members. Delivery of the PCs to employees' homes should start by early Q3 with rollout to be completed by the end of the year.

"We want our employees and their families to participate fully in the Internet revolution," said Craig Barrett, Intel's president and chief executive officer. "An Internet-savvy workforce supports our mission to be the preeminent building block supplier to the worldwide Internet economy. We see these employer-based programs as a positive trend illustrating the importance of technology literacy to us all."

A State-of-the-Industry Program
"We're delighted to offer employees and their families the ability to take advantage of the education and e-Commerce opportunities on the Internet," said Patty Murray, Intel vice president and director, human resources. "The Intel Home PC Program is the right new benefit for the year 2000."
Details of the new Intel program are being communicated to Intel employees worldwide during the month of March. All regular full-time and part-time Intel employees worldwide - currently over 70,000 -- will receive baseline PC configurations using high-performance processors (currently a Pentium® III processor) and unlimited Internet access. In addition, the bundle will include: printer, keyboard, mouse, monitor, Intel® Create and Share™ camera pack, office productivity software, unlimited use of Internet service, technical support and the choice of one Intel® Play™ product.

This is an on-going program, not a one-time offer. Employees will get periodic "refreshes" to ensure the hardware and software stay current. Employees will also have the option to upgrade the configuration of their systems, peripheral devices, and connectivity by contributing to the price of the system. Options would include: notebook platforms, processor and memory upgrades, broadband access and peripherals.

The base product and service offering will be provided to employees at no charge, but is not tax protected. Employees and their families are free to use the PC and Internet connectivity for any purpose they choose. Every Intel employee will receive one PC/service bundle. If multiple employees are part of the same household, each employee is eligible to take advantage of the program.

"There are several important differences between our program and others. We are including free access to educational and news resources on the Internet, and we're providing a very complete system, with a high-performance PC and peripherals," said Doug Busch, Intel's vice president of information technology. "We hope that many other companies will choose to offer such a program to enable their employees and families to experience the Internet and get ready for the connected e-home of the future."

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.