Technology Radar

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Published : Nov 05, 2025

NOT ON THE CURRENT EDITION

This blip is not on the current edition of the Radar. If it was on one of the last few editions, it is likely that it is still relevant. If the blip is older, it might no longer be relevant and our assessment might be different today. Unfortunately, we simply don't have the bandwidth to continuously review blips from previous editions of the Radar. Understand more

Nov 2025

Trial

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that defines how LLM applications and agents integrate with external data sources and tools, significantly improving the quality of AI-generated outputs. MCP focuses on context and tool access, distinguishing it from the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol, which governs inter-agent communication. It specifies servers (for data and tools such as databases, wikis and services) and clients (agents, applications and coding assistants). Since our last blip, MCP adoption has surged, with major companies such as JetBrains (IntelliJ) and Apple joining the ecosystem, alongside emerging frameworks like FastMCP. A preview MCP Registry standard now supports public and proprietary tool discovery. However, MCP's rapid evolution has also introduced architectural gaps, drawing criticism for overlooking established RPC best practices. For production applications, teams should look beyond the hype and apply additional scrutiny by mitigating toxic flows using tools like MCP-Scan and closely monitoring the draft authorization module for security.