MCP (Model Context Protocol)
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard protocol that enables AI agents to connect to external tools, databases, and APIs. It is an open standard developed by Anthropic and donated to the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation.
Even as AI agents grow more sophisticated, they remain little more than "eloquent conversation partners" if they cannot connect to the outside world. MCP is the industry's answer to this challenge, establishing a common communication protocol between agents and external tools.
For example, by connecting a Supabase MCP server, an agent can invoke SQL execution, migration application, and type generation as tools. With a GitHub MCP server, it becomes possible to read Issues and create PRs. The agent side dynamically discovers "which tools are available" via the protocol and calls them as needed.
In terms of positioning, MCP handles "vertical" integration — the connection from agents to the external world. Meanwhile, "horizontal" communication between agents is handled by A2A (Agent-to-Agent Protocol), meaning MCP and A2A are complementary rather than competing.
In December 2025, Anthropic, together with OpenAI and Block, established the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) within the Linux Foundation and donated MCP to it. As an open standard designed to avoid vendor lock-in, it has been adopted by numerous tools including Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude Code.
Articles covering this term
- What Are AI Agent Protocols (MCP & A2A)? How Multi-Agent Collaboration WorksLearn how AI agent protocols like MCP and A2A work. A foundational guide to tool integration and inter-agent communication design in multi-agent systems.
- How to Deploy AI Agents in Production? Practical Steps from Pilot to Scale5 barriers to moving AI agents from pilot to production—and how to overcome them. Practical steps for quality control, system integration, governance & org structure.
- What is Agentic Commerce? Preparing for the B2B Era Where AI Agents Make PurchasesLearn how "agentic commerce"—where AI agents autonomously buy and transact—works, and the key practices B2B companies need for sales and marketing success.
- AI Agent Supply Chain Attack Defense Guide — Protective Implementation for MCP/Skill Distribution ChannelsAI agents create new attack surfaces via MCP / Skills. An enterprise implementation guide covering MCP by-design vulnerabilities, malicious skill delivery, and SSRF mitigation.
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