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                                                               EXHIBIT (a)(5)(A)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information, call
Bonnie Herron, 770/564-5504
or email to bherron@intelsys.com

             INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS CORPORATION ANNOUNCES COMMENCEMENT
                              OF SELF TENDER OFFER

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, JUNE 1, 2001 - Intelligent Systems Corporation (AMEX:INS;
www.intelsys.com) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the
repurchase of up to 1,000,000 shares of its common stock through a self-tender
offer commencing immediately. The tender offer cash price is $5.25 per common
share, a 19.0% premium to the $4.40 closing price per share on May 31, 2001, the
last trading day prior to the date of this release. The one million shares
covered by the tender offer represent 17.8% of the 5,623,784 shares of the
Company's common stock currently outstanding. If 1,000,000 shares are tendered
and accepted, the total purchase price paid by the Company will be $5,250,000.

         If more than 1,000,000 shares are tendered, shares tendered by
shareholders owning less than 100 shares will be accepted first and the
remaining tendered shares will be accepted on a pro rata basis by the Company.
The tender offer is not contingent upon any minimum number of shares being
tendered.

         The tender offer commences today, June 1, 2001, and will expire at
12:00 am (midnight) Eastern Time on Friday, June 29, 2001, unless extended by
the Company. The Company has appointed American Stock Transfer and Trust Company
to serve as the Information Agent and Depositary for the tender offer. Tender
offer documents will be mailed to shareholders commencing today.

         Leland Strange, President of Intelligent Systems stated "Given the
recent liquidity event whereby we received over $20 million related to the sale
of our affiliate company, PaySys International, Inc, we believe the tender offer
announced today represents the right balance between reinvesting in operating
companies and providing our shareholders an opportunity to sell some of their
shares at a premium to the current market price. Management believes the
repurchase of our shares is one of the best investments available to the Company
at this time and is consistent with our long-term goal of increasing shareholder
value."

         In connection with approving the tender offer, the Board of Directors
reduced the number of shares authorized for repurchase under a previously
announced stock repurchase program to a maximum of 400,000 additional shares.
The Company has been able to repurchase less than ten thousand shares in 2001 as
a result of a black-out period during the extended negotiations related to the
PaySys sale and various other rules and regulations that limit the timing and
volume of open market purchases by the

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Company. The Company will resume the repurchase program after the tender offer
expires. The Board of Directors also decided to postpone a decision with respect
to implementing a reverse stock split until after the expiration of the tender
offer.

         Neither ISC nor its Board of Directors is making any recommendation to
shareholders as to the tender. Each shareholder must make his or her own
decision whether to tender shares and, if so, how many shares. The Company has
been advised that its directors or officers may participate in the tender offer.

         THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN
OFFER TO BUY OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SHARES OF INTELLIGENT
SYSTEMS CORPORATION COMMON STOCK. COMMENCEMENT OF THE PROPOSED TENDER OFFER IS
SUBJECT TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, COMPLETION OF ALL REGULATORY FILINGS. ANY
SOLICITATION OF OFFERS TO BUY INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS CORPORATION COMMON STOCK WILL
ONLY BE MADE PURSUANT TO AN OFFER TO PURCHASE AND RELATED MATERIALS TO BE SENT
BY INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS CORPORATION TO ITS SHAREHOLDERS ON THE COMMENCEMENT OF
THE PROPOSED OFFER. SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THOSE MATERIALS BECAUSE
THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF THE OFFER. SHAREHOLDERS MAYOBTAIN COPIES OF THE OFFER TO PURCHASE,
RELATED MATERIALS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION THROUGH THE COMMISSION'S WEB SITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV WITHOUT CHARGE.
SHAREHOLDERS MAY ALSO OBTAIN COPIES OF THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND RELATED
MATERIALS, WITHOUT CHARGE, FROM INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS CORPORATION BY ORAL OR
WRITTEN REQUEST TO INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS CORPORATION ATTENTION: INVESTOR
RELATIONS, 4355 SHACKLEFORD ROAD, NORCROSS, GEORGIA 30093 OR BY CALLING (770)
381-2900 OR FROM THE COMPANY'S INFORMATION AGENT, AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER AND
TRUST CO. AT 59 Maiden Lane, Plaza Level, New York, New York, 10038 TELEPHONE
1-877-777-0800 (TOLL-FREE).

ABOUT INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS CORPORATION

         For more than twenty-five years, Intelligent Systems Corporation has
identified, created, operated and grown early stage technology companies. The
Company uses a combination of business know-how, flexible support, a network of
contacts and resources and equity capital to create sustainable companies. Since
1990, the Company has operated the Intelligent Systems Incubator, an
award-winning pioneer in privately funded incubators. Further information is
available on the Company's website at www.intelsys.com, or by calling the
Company's headquarters at 770/381-2900.

         Any forward-looking information contained herein is being provided in
accordance with the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.
Such information is subject to certain assumptions and beliefs based on current
information known to the Company and is subject to factors that could result in
actual results differing materially from those anticipated in any
forward-looking statements contained herein. Accordingly, there can be no
assurance that any

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forward-looking statements contained herein will occur or that objectives will
be achieved.


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