Zebra Technologies
Offline Protocol and Zebra Technologies bring offline-first coordination to the rugged Android devices that run the world’s warehouses, yards, stores, and field operations. Handhelds sync, message, and hand off work directly with each other, so operations never stop at the edge of coverage.
How Offline Protocol and Zebra keep operations running
Zebra’s rugged Android mobile computers run the world’s warehouses, yards, stores, and field operations, exactly the places where Wi-Fi ends at the dock door and cellular drops behind concrete and steel. Offline Protocol turns every one of those devices into part of a self-healing network.
Handhelds sync records, send messages, and hand off work directly with each other, relay for each other across a site, and reconcile with your systems the moment any device regains a link. Scans, check-ins, pick lists, and proof of delivery keep flowing when the network does not.
What it means for you
- Records and messages sync between nearby handhelds over Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi, with no network needed
- Devices relay for each other across a site, up to 8 hops
- Every message is end-to-end encrypted with MLS (RFC 9420) by default, and each device signs with its own key
- The SDK supports Android 7 (API level 24) and later, through the React Native package, @offline-protocol/mesh-sdk, or the native Android package on Maven Central
- Apps built on the SDK are ordinary Android apps, so you deploy them to Zebra devices with the mobile device management tools you already use
How to get started
- Install the SDK and send a first message between two devices with the quickstart.
- Talk to us to scope an evaluation on your own Zebra devices: one workflow, agreed criteria, 4 to 16 weeks.
- Zebra resellers and integrators work with our team to bundle Offline Protocol into their solutions, with commercial licensing and rollout support.
Zebra FAQ
Can Zebra handhelds work in a warehouse or yard with no Wi-Fi?
Yes. Handhelds, trailer gateways, and dock devices relay for each other, so a handheld at the far fence reaches the gate service through the trailers parked between them, up to 8 hops. Signed scans are kept on the device and sync in order when any device in the mesh regains a link. See offline logistics.
What happens when two handhelds edit the same record offline?
Edge sync merges the edits to the same result on both devices when they meet, with no server picking a winner. When a link returns, your app reconciles the document with the database you already run. How edge sync works.
Can my app use Zebra barcode scans with Offline Protocol?
Yes. Your app reads scans the way any Android app on a Zebra device does, and the SDK carries the result to nearby devices and to your back end when a link returns.
Is there a sample app for inventory or gate check-in?
Yes. The demo apps include a shared store inventory that keeps counting out of range, gate check-in with on-the-spot approval, and signed dock assignments handed phone to phone. Each one is open source on GitHub. See the demo apps.
How is Offline Protocol licensed for a commercial rollout?
The mesh SDK is free under AGPL-3.0-only. A proprietary app or closed firmware takes the per-app commercial license, which you can also buy through AWS Marketplace. See pricing and licensing.
