Sorell Slaymaker

Principal Consulting Analyst

Sorell Slaymaker is a highly experienced Principal Consulting Analyst at TechVision Research, the independent research and consulting firm you are also affiliated with as a Principal Consulting Analyst specializing in identity and access management. Slaymaker has over 30 years of experience designing, building, securing, and operating IP networks and the communication services that run across them. His mission is to help make communication technologies easier to use, more cost-effective, and more secure, with a strong belief that improved communication directly benefits businesses and society.

Professional Background

• TechVision Research: Since 2018, Slaymaker has been a Principal Consulting Analyst, focusing on networking, security, and communications architecture. His research at TechVision covers areas such as SD-WAN, Zero Trust Networking, unified communications security, data center networking, cloud internetworking, SIP trunking, contact centers, and enterprise architecture (including TOGAF and Zachman frameworks).
• 128 Technology: Prior to TechVision, Slaymaker was an Evangelist for 128 Technology, a routing and security software company, advocating for next-generation networking solutions.
• Gartner: From July 2013 to March 2016, Slaymaker was a Research Director at Gartner, covering enterprise networking, unified communications, contact centers, and security. His work at Gartner included deep dives into SIP trunking, session border controllers, voice/video security, WebRTC, colocation, and SD-WANs, providing strategic guidance to enterprise clients on technology adoption and best practices.
• Healthcare Sector: Earlier roles include Senior Director positions at UnitedHealth Group and Cigna, where he managed IT capabilities related to contact centers and network architecture.

Areas of Expertise

Slaymaker’s core expertise includes:

• Network architecture and IP networking (data center, SD-WAN, WLAN, cloud internetworking)
• Unified communications (contact centers, conferencing, SIP trunking)
• Enterprise architecture (TOGAF, Zachman, blueprint and reference frameworks)
• Network security (802.1X, LDAP, VPN, firewalls, IDS/IPS, federation, event correlation, Zero Trust Networking)
• Security strategy for collaboration tools (Teams, Slack, Zoom), digital trust, and data governance
• OT/ICS/IoT for networking and security
• SASE & SSE (Zscaler, Palo Prisma, Netskope)
• Cloud Networking and Security for AWS, Azure, AT&T TAO, Equinix Network Edge, Aviatrix

Industry Thought Leadership

Slaymaker is a frequent speaker and writer on networking and security topics. He is a regular contributor to industry publications such as No Jitter and Network Computing, where he provides commentary on the latest trends in SD-WAN, unified communications, Zero Trust, and telecommunication security. He also chairs the World SD-WAN Summit, sharing insights on the future of network security and digital transformation.

His advocacy for Zero Trust Networking (ZTN) is notable—he argues for a security model where no network traffic is permitted unless it is authenticated and authorized at the edge, significantly reducing the attack surface.

Vision for TechVision Research

Slaymaker views TechVision Research as a provider of “expert research and practical advice to safely guide enterprises, service providers and government agencies with their digital transformation”. He predicts continued rapid growth in the SD-WAN market as organizations seek faster, more secure, and cost-effective networking solutions to support edge computing and next-generation applications.

Summary

Sorell Slaymaker’s career trajectory—from Gartner analyst to TechVision Research principal—reflects a blend of strategic advisory and hands-on technical leadership. His work is widely respected in the networking and security communities, and he is known for advocating innovative, secure, and cost-effective approaches to enterprise communication infrastructure.