5 key questions your builders must be asking about MCP

The Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP) has turn into one of the talked-about developments in AI integration since its introduction by Anthropic in late 2024. If you happen to’re tuned into the AI area in any respect, you’ve probably been inundated with developer “sizzling takes” on the subject. Some assume it’s the very best factor ever; others are fast to level out its shortcomings. In actuality, there’s some fact to each.

One sample I’ve seen with MCP adoption is that skepticism usually provides method to recognition: This protocol solves real architectural issues that different approaches don’t. I’ve gathered an inventory of questions beneath that replicate the conversations I’ve had with fellow builders who’re contemplating bringing MCP to manufacturing environments. 

1. Why ought to I exploit MCP over different options?

In fact, most builders contemplating MCP are already acquainted with implementations like OpenAI’s customized GPTs, vanilla perform calling, Responses API with perform calling, and hardcoded connections to providers like Google Drive. The query isn’t actually whether or not MCP totally replaces these approaches — below the hood, you possibly can completely use the Responses API with perform calling that also connects to MCP. What issues right here is the ensuing stack.

Regardless of all of the hype about MCP, right here’s the straight fact: It’s not a large technical leap. MCP primarily “wraps” present APIs in a approach that’s comprehensible to massive language fashions (LLMs). Positive, plenty of providers have already got an OpenAPI spec that fashions can use. For small or private tasks, the objection that MCP “isn’t that massive a deal” is fairly truthful.

The sensible profit turns into apparent once you’re constructing one thing like an evaluation software that wants to hook up with information sources throughout a number of ecosystems. With out MCP, you’re required to jot down customized integrations for every information supply and every LLM you wish to assist. With MCP, you implement the info supply connections as soon as, and any appropriate AI shopper can use them.

2. Native vs. distant MCP deployment: What are the precise trade-offs in manufacturing?

That is the place you actually begin to see the hole between reference servers and actuality. Native MCP deployment utilizing the stdio programming language is lifeless easy to get working: Spawn subprocesses for every MCP server and allow them to discuss by means of stdin/stdout. Nice for a technical viewers, tough for on a regular basis customers.

Distant deployment clearly addresses the scaling however opens up a can of worms round transport complexity. The unique HTTP+SSE strategy was changed by a March 2025 streamable HTTP replace, which tries to scale back complexity by placing every part by means of a single /messages endpoint. Even so, this isn’t actually wanted for many firms which can be more likely to construct MCP servers.

However right here’s the factor: Just a few months later, assist is spotty at finest. Some shoppers nonetheless count on the outdated HTTP+SSE setup, whereas others work with the brand new strategy — so, should you’re deploying right this moment, you’re in all probability going to assist each. Protocol detection and twin transport assist are a should.

Authorization is one other variable you’ll want to contemplate with distant deployments. The OAuth 2.1 integration requires mapping tokens between exterior id suppliers and MCP periods. Whereas this provides complexity, it’s manageable with correct planning.

3. How can I make sure my MCP server is safe?

That is in all probability the largest hole between the MCP hype and what you really have to sort out for manufacturing. Most showcases or examples you’ll see use native connections with no authentication in any respect, or they handwave the safety by saying “it makes use of OAuth.” 

The MCP authorization spec does leverage OAuth 2.1, which is a confirmed open normal. However there’s at all times going to be some variability in implementation. For manufacturing deployments, give attention to the basics: 

• Correct scope-based entry management that matches your precise software boundaries 
• Direct (native) token validation
• Audit logs and monitoring for software use

Nevertheless, the largest safety consideration with MCP is round software execution itself. Many instruments want (or assume they want) broad permissions to be helpful, which suggests sweeping scope design (like a blanket “learn” or “write”) is inevitable. Even and not using a heavy-handed strategy, your MCP server could entry delicate information or carry out privileged operations — so, when unsure, follow the very best practices really useful within the newest MCP auth draft spec.

4. Is MCP value investing sources and time into, and can it’s round for the long run?

This will get to the guts of any adoption determination: Why ought to I hassle with a flavor-of-the-quarter protocol when every part AI is shifting so quick? What assure do you will have that MCP might be a strong alternative (and even round) in a yr, and even six months? 

Effectively, have a look at MCP’s adoption by main gamers: Google helps it with its Agent2Agent protocol, Microsoft has built-in MCP with Copilot Studio and is even including built-in MCP options for Home windows 11, and Cloudflare is more than pleased that will help you fireplace up your first MCP server on their platform. Equally, the ecosystem development is encouraging, with a whole lot of community-built MCP servers and official integrations from well-known platforms. 

In brief, the educational curve isn’t horrible, and the implementation burden is manageable for many groups or solo devs. It does what it says on the tin. So, why would I be cautious about shopping for into the hype?

MCP is essentially designed for current-gen AI techniques, that means it assumes you will have a human supervising a single-agent interplay. Multi-agent and autonomous tasking are two areas MCP doesn’t actually handle; in equity, it doesn’t actually need to. However should you’re searching for an evergreen but nonetheless by some means bleeding-edge strategy, MCP isn’t it. It’s standardizing one thing that desperately wants consistency, not pioneering in uncharted territory.

5. Are we about to witness the “AI protocol wars?”

Indicators are pointing towards some rigidity down the road for AI protocols. Whereas MCP has carved out a tidy viewers by being early, there’s loads of proof it received’t be alone for for much longer.

Take Google’s Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol launch with 50-plus business companions. It’s complementary to MCP, however the timing — simply weeks after OpenAI publicly adopted MCP — doesn’t really feel coincidental. Was Google cooking up an MCP competitor after they noticed the largest title in LLMs embrace it? Possibly a pivot was the suitable transfer. However it’s hardly hypothesis to assume that, with options like multi-LLM sampling quickly to be launched for MCP, A2A and MCP could turn into opponents.

Then there’s the sentiment from right this moment’s skeptics about MCP being a “wrapper” quite than a real leap ahead for API-to-LLM communication. That is one other variable that can solely turn into extra obvious as consumer-facing purposes transfer from single-agent/single-user interactions and into the realm of multi-tool, multi-user, multi-agent tasking. What MCP and A2A don’t handle will turn into a battleground for an additional breed of protocol altogether.

For groups bringing AI-powered tasks to manufacturing right this moment, the sensible play might be hedging protocols. Implement what works now whereas designing for flexibility. If AI makes a generational leap and leaves MCP behind, your work received’t undergo for it. The funding in standardized software integration completely will repay instantly, however preserve your structure adaptable for no matter comes subsequent.

In the end, the dev group will resolve whether or not MCP stays related. It’s MCP tasks in manufacturing, not specification magnificence or market buzz, that can decide if MCP (or one thing else) stays on high for the subsequent AI hype cycle. And albeit, that’s in all probability the way it must be.

Meir Wahnon is a co-founder at Descope.