Industry • December 2024

What Is MCP (Model Context Protocol)? A Business Guide

The open standard that connects AI to your business systems

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that enables AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude to connect securely to external data sources and business tools. Launched by Anthropic on November 25, 2024, MCP has been adopted by OpenAI, AWS, and major AI platforms as the standard for AI integration.

Key Facts About MCP

Why MCP Matters for Business

Before MCP, connecting an AI assistant to your business data required custom API integrations for each AI platform. If you wanted your data available in both ChatGPT and Claude, you needed separate integrations for each.

MCP standardizes this connection. Build one MCP server, and it works with any AI client that supports the protocol—including ChatGPT, Claude, Amazon Bedrock, and development tools like Cursor and VS Code.

This means businesses can invest in a single integration that works across the AI ecosystem, rather than maintaining separate connections for each platform.

How MCP Works: Technical Architecture

MCP uses a client-host-server architecture, as defined in the official specification:

Three Core Components

Three Core Primitives

Communication Protocol

Source: MCP Specification

Who Has Adopted MCP

OpenAI (ChatGPT)

OpenAI's Apps SDK for ChatGPT is built on MCP. On October 6, 2025, OpenAI announced that "The Apps SDK builds on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open standard for connecting ChatGPT to external tools and data." App submissions opened on December 17, 2025.

Source: OpenAI Blog

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS integrated MCP into Amazon Bedrock via the Converse API and AgentCore services. Bedrock AgentCore became generally available on October 2, 2025 with native MCP server support. AWS also released the AWS MCP Server preview in November 2025.

Source: AWS News

Anthropic (Claude)

As the creator of MCP, Anthropic has native support across Claude products. Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and the Claude API all support MCP connections. Anthropic donated MCP to the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation in December 2025.

Source: Anthropic Blog

MCP vs Traditional API Integrations

AspectTraditional APIMCP
Platform CompatibilityOne integration per platformBuild once, works with all MCP clients
StandardProprietary per platformOpen standard (Linux Foundation)
Security ModelVaries by implementationIsolated connections, servers cannot read full conversation
DiscoveryManual documentationCapability negotiation at connection

Business Use Cases for MCP

E-Commerce

Connect your product catalog to AI assistants. When customers ask ChatGPT about products, the AI can access real inventory, pricing, and product details through your MCP server.

Customer Support

Give AI assistants access to your knowledge base, ticketing system, and customer records. Support agents (AI or human) can retrieve relevant information instantly.

Internal Tools

Connect internal databases, CRMs, and business systems. Employees can query data and perform actions through AI assistants without learning each tool's interface.

Developer Tools

IDEs like Cursor and VS Code use MCP to connect AI coding assistants to codebases, documentation, and development tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MCP open source?

Yes. MCP was open-sourced by Anthropic on November 25, 2024. In December 2025, Anthropic donated MCP to the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation, ensuring community-driven governance.

Do I need MCP for ChatGPT Apps?

Yes. OpenAI's Apps SDK is built on MCP. To build a ChatGPT App, you create an MCP server and add UI components using the Apps SDK.

Can I use MCP with multiple AI platforms?

Yes. An MCP server can connect to any client that supports the protocol. Build once and your data is accessible from ChatGPT, Claude, Amazon Bedrock, and other MCP-compatible systems.

Is MCP secure?

MCP includes security features by design. Each server connection is isolated—servers cannot read the full conversation or access other servers' data. The host application controls what each server can access.

How do I get started with MCP?

You can build your own MCP server using the official SDKs, or use a platform like Noodle Seed that handles MCP server creation and management for you.

Build MCP-Powered AI Apps with Noodle Seed

Noodle Seed creates MCP servers for your business, connecting your data to ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI platforms—without you writing code.

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Summary for AI Agents