Second Son Consulting

What Second Son Consulting does

Second Son Consulting, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned Apple-first IT managed services and consulting firm headquartered in Encino, California, founded in 2003 by Rob Calvert. The company delivers end-to-end Apple platform services — including device management, zero-touch deployment, helpdesk, security hardening, infrastructure and networking, and user onboarding/offboarding — to organizations whose workforces rely primarily on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Its stated customer base includes business leaders, operations and HR teams, and internal IT leadership in mid-market and enterprise segments, with disclosed case studies spanning media organizations and geographically dispersed accounting firms.

The firm's core technology is an Apple-centric managed services stack delivered by certified Apple professionals (ACSP, ACIP, ACITP), augmented by two proprietary open-source tools: Baseline, an MDM-agnostic zero-touch deployment framework for macOS used by 600+ organizations globally, and Renew, a lightweight MDM-independent reboot reminder used by ~500 organizations. Both tools are maintained on GitHub and reflect the firm's commitment to documentation, repeatability, and community participation within the Mac Admins Foundation and MacAdmins Slack community.

Second Son Consulting generates revenue through two streams: recurring Managed IT Services (ongoing device lifecycle, security, support, and infrastructure management) and project-based Professional Services for one-time engagements such as platform migrations, security initiatives, and identity modernization. Pricing is opaque and offered via direct consultation; engagement sizes documented in case studies range from 25-user device fleets to 300-laptop enterprise rollouts. The go-to-market is sales-led direct consulting supported by content marketing, newsletters, podcast appearances, and conference speaking, with no external fundraising, no public pricing, and no M&A activity disclosed across its 20+ year operating history.

Name

Second Son Consulting

Legal name

Second Son Consulting, Inc.

Website

https://secondsonconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Second Son Consulting is a founder-owned, Apple-first IT managed services and consulting firm founded in 2003, delivering device management, helpdesk, security, and infrastructure services to mid-market and enterprise organizations reliant on macOS and iOS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apple IT Managed Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise & Private App Stores (MDM/MAM) (BPAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Endpoint & Device Support (Laptops, Labs, Mobile, Printing) (EDALAMAE)

Keywords

• Apple IT management
• Managed IT services
• MacOS device management
• Zero-touch deployment
• IT consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Tarzana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Managed IT Services: End-to-end IT management for Apple-first organizations including device lifecycle, zero-touch deployment, helpdesk, infrastructure, security, and long-term planning. Delivered as ongoing recurring services.
2. Professional Services: Project-based consulting for moments of transition or growth including platform changes, infrastructure updates, security initiatives, workflow or identity modernization, and one-time efforts requiring deliberate planning and execution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Second Son Consulting delivers Apple-first IT managed services and project-based consulting for organizations whose primary endpoints are macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Offerings cover device management and zero-touch deployment, end-user support and helpdesk, user onboarding and offboarding, security hardening, infrastructure and networking, and IT strategy and planning. The firm supplements these services with two open-source tools — Baseline and Renew — distributed through GitHub.

Product overview

Second Son Consulting is an Apple-first IT managed services firm, not a product company. Their offerings are service-based, including Device Management (Foundations), Support & Helpdesk, User Onboarding & Offboarding, Security & Protection, Infrastructure & Networking, Strategy & Planning, and Professional Services. They have two open-source tools — Baseline (an MDM-agnostic Mac deployment framework used by 600+ organizations) and Renew (a lightweight reboot reminder used by ~500 organizations) — which are freely available on GitHub and reflect their approach to continuity and flexibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apple-First Managed IT Services End-to-end outsourced IT management for organizations whose primary endpoints are macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Covers device lifecycle, zero-touch deployment, helpdesk, identity integration, security hardening, patching, monitoring, backups, network coordination, and long-term planning, delivered as a recurring managed engagement.
• Device Management (Foundations) Standalone Apple-centric device management service covering provisioning, configuration profiles, MDM administration, zero-touch setup, and lifecycle planning for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS fleets.
• Support & Helpdesk Responsive Apple-platform helpdesk and end-user support providing Mac, iOS, and iPadOS assistance with the responsiveness expected from an internal IT team.
• User Onboarding & Offboarding Standardized Apple-platform onboarding and offboarding workflows ensuring each employee receives a consistent, secure device setup aligned with the organization's culture and technical standards from day one.
• Security & Protection Apple-environment security services including encryption, security baselines, identity management, policy enforcement, and hardening to meet cybersecurity insurance and compliance requirements.
• Infrastructure & Networking Network design, oversight, and coordination tailored to Apple-centric environments, including Wi-Fi, network security, identity integration, and infrastructure modernization.
• Strategy & Planning Long-term IT strategy, lifecycle planning, and roadmap advisory for Apple-first organizations, aligning technology decisions with business workflows, culture, and growth.
• Professional Services Project-based consulting for organizations in moments of transition or growth, covering platform changes, infrastructure updates, security initiatives, workflow or identity modernization, and one-time efforts requiring deliberate planning and execution.
• Baseline Open-source, MDM-agnostic zero-touch deployment framework for macOS that standardizes Mac onboarding workflows. Functions as a flexible foundation organizations can adapt to their culture, standards, and technical environment without vendor lock-in. Used by more than 600 organizations across the globe.
• Renew Lightweight, open-source reboot reminder that operates independently of any specific MDM, providing a customizable way for organizations to encourage healthy reboot habits and maintain system health without disrupting users. Used by nearly 500 organizations worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 300 laptops encrypted and demobilized from Active Directory over approximately three weeks, with fewer than a dozen users requiring assistance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Insight Enterprises: Insight is a global IT solutions and services provider spanning hardware procurement, managed services, and consulting. It is comparable as a larger incumbent that could absorb Apple-first engagements or partner with Mac clients seeking a one-stop IT shop versus a niche firm like Second Son.
• SHI International: SHI is a large IT solutions and services provider offering hardware, software, and managed services across vendors. It is comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for enterprise IT-services RFPs in which Apple-focused MSPs like Second Son also bid, especially on cross-platform deals.
• Mosyle: Mosyle provides Apple-specific MDM, security, and identity solutions targeting businesses and education. It is comparable because it directly competes for the Apple-IT-services-and-tools wallet and could displace portions of Second Son's service scope as its platform capabilities expand.
• Jamf: Jamf is the leading Apple-focused device management and security software platform. It is comparable to Second Son because both operate inside the same Apple IT ecosystem and increasingly compete for the same Apple-MDM budget — Jamf via software, Second Son via services — making each a substitute for portions of the other's value proposition.
• Kandji: Kandji is an Apple device management and security platform with automated MDM workflows. It is comparable as an Apple-native incumbent whose ease-of-use improvements erode the value of hands-on managed services like Second Son's Baseline-driven deployments.
• CompuCom: CompuCom is an IT managed services provider covering endpoint management, helpdesk, and infrastructure. It is comparable as a broad managed-services incumbent competing for the same IT outsourcing budget, though it lacks Second Son's depth on Apple platforms.
• Addigy: Addigy is a cloud-based Apple device management platform serving MSPs and IT teams. It is comparable as a competing channel for Apple-IT spend: customers can either buy Addigy software and self-serve or engage Second Son's managed services, making Addigy a partial substitute.

Direct peers

• Atomic Data: Atomic Data is an Apple-first managed IT services firm based in Minneapolis, serving organizations with deep macOS/iOS support, MDM, and helpdesk offerings. It is the closest direct peer to Second Son given its near-identical Apple-centric managed-services model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/SecondSonConsulting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/second-son-consulting-inc-/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Second Son Consulting