Will the next round of smartphone wars involve mobile device management (MDM) lawsuits? That’s the prediction from Good Technology, which has filed MDM-related lawsuits against AirWatch and MobileIron. For managed services providers (MSPs) trying to master MDM, the lawsuits could be a depressing sign of things to come. Here’s why.

Good predicts MDM lawsuits are “the next front of the smartphone wars.” Already, Apple and Samsung have been locked in a tablet and smartphone patent war. But that feud involves devices that customers choose on their own. The MDM patent war could involve entire software and cloud platforms that MSPs are recommending to end customers. Moreover, some MSP software providers are partnering up with MDM companies on integration deals.

What happens to the MDM software ecosystem (and by extension, MSP partners) if some incredibly popular platforms — like AirWatch or MobileIron — suffer injunctions?

Admittedly, it’s too soon to speculate. MSPmentor has reached out to AirWatch and MobileIron for comment, and we’ll be working hard to share both sides of the story in the days and weeks ahead.