Model Context Protocol
MCP & connectorsAn open standard for connecting AI models to tools and data through a common protocol.
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard, introduced by Anthropic, for how models talk to tools and data sources. Instead of a bespoke integration per app, a system exposes an MCP server once and any MCP-aware client can use it.
It has become a de facto standard: model vendors, IDEs, and agent frameworks all speak it. For integration work, MCP turns "N apps times M models" into "build the server once."
Where it's ideally used
The right approach when a capability should be reusable across many models and clients, rather than wired into one app.
Where it doesn't fit
Extra indirection for a single, private integration that only one application will ever call — a direct API call is simpler.