RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Google’s “Android” project to develop software for use in mobile phones includes quite an impressive list of partners.

Interestingly, Durham-based Motricity, one of the biggest developers of mobile content applications, isn’t on it.

With the backing on billionaire Carl Icahn, Motricity recently paid $135 million for a big piece of Infospace as part of its strategy to be THE player in the convergence of content and mobile devices. But the company has been pretty mum about what’s happening with Google.

“I’m really sorry but I cannot answer the question directly as we don’t disclose the nature of our conversations with existing or potential customers, vendors or partners,” a Motricity spokesman told The Skinny last week after a check about the swirling “gphone” rumors. “A lot of our work is considered ‘competitive advantage’ by our customers/partners and it would break (non-disclosure) agreements.”

Google made worldwide headlines Monday with the announcement of its wireless project. While no hardware gphone was announced, Android and the Open Handset Alliance are impressive efforts.

Andy Rubin, director of mobile platforms for Google, has big plans for Android, which is named after his company that Google acquired. In a blog at Goggle, Rubin wrote “we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today.”

It’s hard to believe Motricity won’t at some point become involved with the project, given the scale of Google’s power and the Android partners.

Take note – the alliance doesn’t yet include AT&T and Verizon, either. However, check out those firms already signed on. It’s definitely a grade-A list:

• Aplix
• Ascender Corporation
• Audience
• Broadcom
• China Mobile
• eBay
• Esmertec
• Google
• HTC (a smart phone manufacturer)
• Intel
• KDDI
• LivingImage
• LG
• Marvell
• Motorola
• NMS Communications
• Noser
• NTT DoCoMo
• Nuance
• Nvidia
• PacketVideo
• Qualcomm
• Samsung
• SiRF
• SkyPop
• SONiVOX
• Sprint Nextel
• Synaptics
• TAT – The Astonishing Tribe
• Telecom Italia
• Telefonica
• Texas Instruments
• T-Mobile
• Wind River

For more on the alliance, check out the Web links with today’s Skinny.