Intel & Fortinet team up on SP6 security processor

Intel and Fortinet have agreed a strategic collaboration to develop Fortinet's Security Processor 6.

The work is also intended to improve resilience in Fortinet's global supply chain.

The agreement expands an existing relationship between the US chipmaker and the cybersecurity group. It centres on Fortinet's next security processor, known as SP6, combining Fortinet's application-specific integrated circuit design expertise with Intel's semiconductor design, packaging and manufacturing capabilities.

Fortinet has used purpose-built ASICs in its security products for more than two decades. The new collaboration brings that processor strategy closer to Intel's manufacturing base and is intended to strengthen SP6's development while diversifying the supply chain behind it.

Processor focus

The planned chip is described as a highly integrated security processor designed to support increasingly complex security services and the performance demands organisations face. The project will also draw on Intel's ecosystem intellectual property, disaggregated semiconductor design and packaging methods for AI-enabled and lower-cost applications.

The move comes as technology suppliers face pressure from customers to show not only product differentiation but also greater assurance over where critical components are designed and made. Supply chain resilience has become a bigger issue for enterprise technology buyers after years of disruption in global semiconductor production and logistics.

Lip-Bu Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Intel, linked the deal to both cybersecurity infrastructure and supply chain concerns.

"As organizations face a rapidly evolving threat landscape, security infrastructure must deliver both performance and innovation at scale," said Lip-Bu Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Intel. "This collaboration demonstrates how Intel's semiconductor leadership and advanced design, packaging, and manufacturing capabilities can help cybersecurity leaders like Fortinet accelerate the development of critical security technologies while building a more resilient and diversified global supply chain."

For Intel, the collaboration adds a cybersecurity processor programme to its broader manufacturing and advanced packaging push. The company has been working to position its semiconductor design and production operations as a service for a wider range of customers seeking chip design support and manufacturing capacity.

For Fortinet, the agreement reinforces a long-standing effort to distinguish its products through dedicated silicon rather than relying solely on general-purpose processors. Security vendors have often argued that custom chips can improve throughput and efficiency for tasks such as inspection, encryption and traffic handling across firewalls and related systems.

Long-term roadmap

The work is expected to support Fortinet's long-term ASIC roadmap and add greater service richness. The companies also said they would explore broader opportunities to deepen co-operation across semiconductor technology, manufacturing and infrastructure tied to future cybersecurity development.

That suggests the SP6 project could extend beyond a single chip design into a broader relationship around component sourcing and production planning. Neither company disclosed financial terms for the collaboration or a timetable for the processor's release.

Ken Xie said the arrangement fits Fortinet's established silicon strategy.

"Fortinet's purpose-built ASICs have been a key differentiator for more than two decades, enabling us to deliver the security effectiveness, performance, and efficiency our customers demand," said Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Fortinet. "This expanded relationship with Intel will leverage its unique combination of advanced semiconductor technology, manufacturing expertise, and global supply chain capabilities, helping Fortinet accelerate and strengthen our ASIC strategy, while also better supporting organizations all over the world."