What Is MCP (Model Context Protocol)? A Business Guide
The open standard that connects AI assistants to your business systems—adopted by OpenAI, AWS, and major platforms.
Founder & CEO, Noodle Seed
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.
TL;DR
- •MCP is an open standard for connecting AI to external data and tools (launched Nov 2024)
- •Adopted by OpenAI (Apps SDK), AWS (Bedrock AgentCore), and Claude
- •97 million monthly SDK downloads, 10,000+ active MCP servers
- •Build one integration that works across all MCP-compatible AI platforms
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.
How MCP Works: Technical Architecture
MCP uses a client-host-server architecture, as defined in the official specification.
Three Core Components:
- •Host: The AI application (Claude Desktop, ChatGPT) that manages connections
- •Client: Created by the host, maintains a connection to one MCP server
- •Server: Provides tools, resources, and prompts to the AI
Three Core Primitives:
- •Tools: Actions the AI can perform (query database, send email, update CRM)
- •Resources: Data the AI can access (files, database records, API responses)
- •Prompts: Reusable templates for common interactions
The protocol uses JSON-RPC 2.0 for communication. Local connections use stdio transport, while remote connections use Streamable HTTP with Server-Sent Events (SSE).
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."
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.
Source: AWS Blog
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.
Source: Anthropic Blog
MCP vs Traditional API Integrations
| Aspect | Traditional API | MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Compatibility | One integration per platform | Build once, works with all MCP clients |
| Standard | Proprietary per platform | Open standard (Linux Foundation) |
| Security | Varies by implementation | Isolated connections by design |
| Discovery | Manual documentation | Capability 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.
Founder & CEO, Noodle Seed
Ready to connect your business to AI assistants?
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