Good Technology has filed two separate patent infringement lawsuits against MobileIron and

Joe Panettieri, Former Editorial Director

November 14, 2012

2 Min Read
Good Technology MDM Lawsuit Targets MobileIron, AirWatch

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Good Technology has filed two separate patent infringement lawsuits against MobileIron and AirWatch. The lawsuits involve mobile device management (MDM) and four Good patents, the company asserted. Many MobileIron and AirWatch partners are managed services providers (MSPs). MSPmentor is watching closely to see if or how the lawsuits will impact MSPs worldwide. Still, let’s not jump to conclusions since the story is just unfolding now. Here’s the early blow by blow.

A MobileIron spokesperson, as of 8:45 p.m.on Nov. 14, said the company had not yet seen the complaint and therefore the company would have no comment until the complaint is reviewed. A MobileIron spokesperson said the company, as a corporate policy, does not comment on legal matters.

In a somewhat strange statement Good called the lawsuits the “next front in the smartphone wars” — a statement that seems to suggest Good believes its patent war chest is rich with opportunity.

In a blog post, Good Technology alleged that “MobileIron and AirWatch must cheat to appear competitive.”The blog went on to state:

“Because we hold over 75 patents, many of which are early, highly-cited, foundational patents in the field, and because MobileIron and AirWatch hold only a single patent between them, we believe that this lawsuit will be a bet-the-company case for them and that the court will grant an injunction.”

In a separate prepared statement, Good Technology CEO King Lee said:

“Smartphones and tablets have become the most important and ubiquitous piece of technology we use in our daily lives. Good has pioneered the technology and products critical to the backbone and safety of these mobile devices, and these lawsuits are about two blatant infringers of our technology – MobileIron and AirWatch. We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars researching, developing, and marketing our solutions. Thousands of organizations worldwide, including half of the FORTUNE 100, trust us to safely, efficiently and reliably scale their mobile enterprises, and we intend to vigorously defend our intellectual property rights around the world.”

In terms of the MDM market, AirWatch, MobileIron and Good Technology are three of the biggest names. Plus, some major service providers have been partnering with AirWatch and MobileIron.  Among the partnership examples:

With those ecosystem relationships in mind, MSPmentor is digging to learn if or how the lawsuits will potentially impact MSPs worldwide.

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About the Author(s)

Joe Panettieri

Former Editorial Director, Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media

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