From the archive
Anthropic releases the Model Context Protocol
MCP introduces a shared way to connect AI applications to data and tools, with initial support in Claude Desktop.
Anthropic released the Model Context Protocol (MCP) on November 25, 2024. The open protocol defined a shared way for AI applications to connect to external data and tools.
Clients and servers
An MCP server exposed a system's data or functions, while an MCP client connected the AI application to it. The release included a specification, software development kits, and example servers for systems such as Google Drive, GitHub, Git, and PostgreSQL. The aim was to reduce the need for a different custom integration for every application and data source.
Initial desktop support
Claude Desktop added support for local MCP servers across Claude plans. Remote production deployment tools were planned separately.
Anthropic also named development-tool companies working with MCP, including Codeium . The announcement opened a common integration route for assistants accessing files, repositories, and business systems, with the available connectors determining what each application could reach.