MCP defined a client-serverA network model where clients request services from centralized servers — the pattern behind most web applications. wire format so one integration works across Claude, ChatGPTOpenAI's conversational chat product — brought large language models to hundreds of millions of users., Cursor, and CopilotAn AI coding assistant — suggests completions and edits inside the editor as you type. — replacing ad-hoc function-calling plugins. Within a year it became the de facto standard for agent tooling before AnthropicAn AI safety company — creators of the Claude family of language models. donated it to the Linux Foundation.

MCP unified how LLMs call external tools instead of every vendor inventing its own APIApplication programming interface — a defined way for programs to talk to each other or to a service..

A shared protocol let IDEs and SaaSSoftware as a Service — applications delivered over the internet on a subscription basis. products ship AI integrations once.