What Is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

The Integration Problem Before MCP

Every AI tool integration required custom code: specific API clients, custom authentication, bespoke data formatting. Connecting Claude to your database required different code than connecting GPT-4 to the same database. This fragmentation slowed development.

What MCP Does

Model Context Protocol (MCP), open-sourced by Anthropic in late 2024, defines a standard interface for AI models to connect to external data sources, APIs, and tools.

An MCP server exposes resources (data), tools (actions), and prompts through a standardised protocol. Any MCP-compatible AI client can connect to any MCP server without custom integration code.

Architecture

MCP Host: The AI application (Claude Desktop, your app) MCP Server: The tool or data source exposing capabilities Your database → MCP Server → Claude Your filesystem → MCP Server → Claude Your CRM → MCP Server → Claude

Why It Matters for Builders

Build your integration once as an MCP server. Any MCP-compatible AI can then use it. For enterprises: build internal MCP servers for your systems and unlock them for any AI tool your team uses, with centralised access control.

Build AI Integrations That Scale

Our workshop covers modern AI integration patterns including MCP, tool use, and API design.