MCP Servers¶

Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers are lightweight, standardised services that act as a bridge between AI assistants — like Claude — and the tools, data sources, and systems your organisation already uses. Instead of an AI being limited to its training data, MCP servers give it live, structured access to things like calendars, file systems, databases, project management tools, and APIs, allowing it to read information, take actions, and complete real tasks on your behalf.

Under the hood, the protocol works through a simple client-server model: the AI acts as the client, sending requests to an MCP server, which translates those requests into calls to the underlying service and returns the results in a format the AI understands. Think of MCP servers as purpose-built connectors — each one unlocks a new capability, and together they transform an AI assistant from a conversational tool into an active participant in your workflows.