ALLENTOWN, Pa., Feb. 5 -- Agere Systems and Intoto Inc. will build a fully integrated network security system using Agere's PayloadPlus family of network processors and Intoto's iGateway firewall and virtual private network (VPN) security products. The new security system is targeted to next-generation metropolitan optical networks. Embedded security has become a requirement in high-performance gateway equipment for communications networks, including enterprise VPN and firewall applications, access routers, multiservice switch gateway equipment, Internet protocol (IP) and multiprotocol label switching routers. IPSec is the dominant Internet security protocol in these applications. "Intoto's proven track record in IPSec implementation and Agere's expertise in deep-packet, multiprotocol, programmable processing means our customers will get the best-of-breed security with high-performance network processors in a single, integrated package," said Ford Tamer, vice president of the processing, aggregation and switching group at Agere Systems.