Further to my previous post, it seems that Google Sync is made available using the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync technology.
See the presspass [3] statement about Google taking a patent license from MS.
More information available at: http://www.internetnews.com/webcontent/article.php/3801681 [4]
Links:
[1] http://pulse.veltsos.com/category/it/google
[2] http://pulse.veltsos.com/category/it/softwareosmicrosoft
[3] http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/feb09/02-09statement.mspx
[4] http://www.internetnews.com/webcontent/article.php/3801681