In a significant development for the artificial intelligence industry, GitHub and its parent company, Microsoft, have announced their participation in the steering committee for the MCP (Model Connection Protocol), a groundbreaking standard established by Anthropic to enhance the connectivity of AI models with various data systems. This announcement was made during the highly anticipated Microsoft Build 2025 conference on Monday, reflecting the growing momentum of MCP within the AI sector.
The MCP standard is designed to facilitate seamless data access for AI models from a wide range of sources, including business tools, software applications, content repositories, and app development environments. By leveraging MCP, developers can create two-way connections between data sources and AI-powered applications, such as chatbots, thereby enhancing the functionality and efficiency of these technologies.
Developers can utilize the MCP framework by creating MCP servers that expose data and functionalities, which can then be accessed by MCP clients, including various applications and workflows. This innovative approach allows for dynamic interactions, enabling developers to harness the full potential of their applications by integrating them with advanced AI capabilities.
Both Microsoft and GitHub are committed to providing extensive first-party support for the MCP standard across their platforms and services, including Microsoft Azure and Windows 11. In the coming months, Windows will feature MCP integrations that empower developers to expose the functionalities of their applications to MCP-enabled models. According to Microsoft’s press materials, “Developers will be able to wrap desired features and capabilities in their apps as MCP servers and make them available for Windows.”
These MCP integrations will include essential Windows system functionalities such as the File System, Windowing, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux. This means that developers will have the ability to create applications that can directly interact with and utilize these core system capabilities through the MCP framework.
In addition to their support, Microsoft and GitHub are actively contributing to the advancement of the MCP standard. Microsoft’s identity and security teams have worked closely with Anthropic and the broader MCP community to develop an updated authorization specification. This new spec enhances the security of MCP-connected applications by allowing them to utilize “trusted sign-in methods” for accessing data and services, including personal storage drives and subscription plans.
Meanwhile, GitHub is collaborating with the MCP steering committee to establish a registry service for MCP servers. This service aims to facilitate the implementation of both public and private centralized repositories for MCP server entries, enabling developers to discover and manage various MCP implementations along with their associated configurations effectively.
The collaboration between GitHub, Microsoft, and Anthropic marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI technology, as the MCP standard promises to simplify the integration of AI models with diverse data sources. As this initiative gains traction, developers and businesses alike can look forward to enhanced AI capabilities and improved efficiency across their applications.
