A protocol processing system includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A control head-end is operable to receive a protocol processing engine identifier over a network through one of the communication interfaces from an external system. A plurality of optimized protocol processing engines are coupled to the control head-end, and the control head-end is operable to select a first optimized protocol processing engine from the plurality of optimized protocol processing engines that is identified by the protocol processing engine identifier. In response to being selected, the first optimized protocol processing engine handles communications between an application processing system and the external system. The first optimized protocol processing engine may be an optimized TCP/IP stack that receives operating system data through a first communication interface from the application processing system and sends network communication data over the network through the second communication interface to the external system.