Intel foundry lands first named external customer Fortinet

Intel has landed Fortinet as its first named external customer for a security-focused ASIC, the Fortinet Security Processor 6 (SP6), to be manufactured on Intel 4, signaling a strategic move to grow external foundry business under CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Fortinet designs its own ASICs and will rely on Intel for advanced design, packaging, and manufacturing, while the exact SP6 specifications and production timeline remain to be announced. The SP6 project underscores a broader collaboration in which Intel aims to leverage disaggregated design and advanced packaging to support AI-enabled and cost-sensitive security workloads, potentially featuring a chiplet architecture. This win highlights the growing convergence of semiconductor manufacturing and cybersecurity, with Fortinet seeking supply-chain security and Intel seeking marquee customers beyond traditional AI-focused work. Several reports note that SP6 uses the Intel 4 process rather than Intel’s newer 14A/18A nodes, and that details about throughput and speeds have not been disclosed. The partnership fits into Intel’s broader push to attract significant, high-volume customers for its foundry services as it expands its U.S. and international manufacturing footprint.