Ditto and Zebra Forge Alliance to End Operational Downtime

ATLANTA, GA – January 12, 2026 – In a strategic move poised to redefine operational resilience for frontline industries, edge computing pioneer Ditto and enterprise hardware leader Zebra Technologies have announced a landmark reciprocal partnership. The collaboration aims to eliminate the costly disruptions caused by network outages in retail, logistics, and warehousing by creating 'always-on' mobile solutions that function seamlessly, with or without an internet connection.

Ditto, known for its peer-to-peer data synchronization platform, has joined Zebra's acclaimed PartnerConnect program as a Premier Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Partner. In a significant display of mutual commitment, Zebra Technologies is simultaneously joining the Ditto Peer Partner Program. This dual-track alliance signals a deeper integration than typical vendor relationships, creating a powerful synergy between Ditto's offline-first software and Zebra's ubiquitous frontline hardware, including barcode scanners, mobile computers, and POS systems.

The High Cost of Disconnection

For modern enterprises, reliable connectivity is the lifeblood of daily operations. When the network goes down, the consequences are immediate and severe. Research highlights a stark vulnerability: nearly three-quarters of all retailers experience connectivity issues, with 44% facing them on a monthly basis. For many, a single day of downtime can slash sales by up to 50%, a devastating blow in a competitive market. Furthermore, a surprising 27% of retailers admit to having no backup plan for such an event.

These outages cripple core functions. Point-of-sale (POS) systems freeze, leaving customers unable to pay and abandoning their purchases. Stock management systems fall out of sync, leading to inventory inaccuracies that cascade into supply chain chaos. In warehouses and logistics centers, the problem is just as acute. A mobile scanner losing its Wi-Fi signal in a freezer or a far corner of the facility can mean lost data, halted workflows, and a decline in productivity as workers are forced to manually record information for later entry, inviting human error.

The industry has long sought a solution to these pain points. While cloud computing has revolutionized business, its reliance on a constant connection creates a critical point of failure. The partnership between Ditto and Zebra directly confronts this challenge by moving intelligence from the centralized cloud to the operational edge.

Forging an 'Always-On' Solution

The collaboration combines Zebra's rugged, enterprise-grade hardware with Ditto's innovative edge-native database. Ditto's technology enables devices to create local, peer-to-peer networks, allowing them to synchronize data directly with one another without needing to route through a central server or the internet. When a network connection is available, the data is then opportunistically synced to the cloud, ensuring data integrity across the entire system.

This means a team of warehouse workers using Zebra scanners can continue picking, packing, and managing inventory even in a complete Wi-Fi dead zone. Their devices will share data locally, maintaining a single source of truth. In a retail setting, multiple POS terminals can continue processing transactions and communicating with each other during an internet outage, preventing lost sales and customer frustration. The moment connectivity is restored, all transactional and inventory data is seamlessly updated with backend systems.

“We offer uninterrupted POS and inventory operations during network outages, resilient supply chain visibility, reduced infrastructure costs and more,” said Michael Chadwell, Head of Partnerships at Ditto. “This collaboration is enabling our customers to leverage Zebra's industry-leading solutions and confidently keep their operations running with Ditto, even in the most challenging environments.”

A New Blueprint for Tech Ecosystems

The reciprocal nature of the partnership sets a new precedent for how hardware and software companies can build synergistic ecosystems. By not only joining Zebra's PartnerConnect program but also welcoming Zebra into its own Peer Partner Program, the companies are fostering a level of deep, mutual integration. Ditto's designation as a Premier ISV Partner within Zebra's framework is particularly noteworthy, as this top tier recognizes partners who significantly influence revenue and drive demand for Zebra's products through their applications.

This two-way street encourages aligned product roadmaps, joint go-to-market strategies, and a shared commitment to solving customer problems. For Zebra, integrating Ditto's capabilities allows it to differentiate its hardware offerings with a powerful resilience layer, addressing a critical need for its vast customer base. For Ditto, the alliance provides access to Zebra's extensive market reach and solidifies its software as a critical component for mission-critical enterprise mobility.

This model moves beyond simple software certification for hardware. It represents a joint-engineering and market-facing philosophy where the combined solution is greater than the sum of its parts, offering customers a pre-validated, robust system for operational continuity.

Empowering the Frontline at the Edge

This alliance is a powerful illustration of the accelerating trend toward edge computing, a market projected to exceed $250 billion. The paradigm is shifting from a purely cloud-centric model to one of distributed intelligence, where processing power and data storage are pushed to the edges of the network—directly into the devices used by frontline workers.

By embedding Ditto's offline-first database into applications running on Zebra's mobile computers and scanners, the partnership empowers workers with real-time, resilient data access, regardless of their location or network status. This enhances autonomy, speeds up decision-making, and improves agility on the factory floor, in the retail aisle, or at the loading dock. It transforms frontline devices from simple data-entry terminals into intelligent, collaborative nodes in a resilient operational mesh.

As industries continue to digitize, the ability to maintain operations through inevitable disruptions is no longer a luxury but a core strategic necessity. The collaboration between Ditto and Zebra provides a tangible blueprint for building this resilience, ensuring that the people and the technology powering the global economy can keep working, no matter what.