Definition
MCP provides a common interface between an AI client and external capabilities such as databases, file systems, APIs, or internal services. It can reduce one-off integration work when governed carefully.
Why it matters
Standards can make AI integrations faster to build and easier to evolve, but they do not remove access-control responsibilities.
Business example
An internal assistant uses approved MCP tools to look up a customer record and prepare a draft update without direct database access.
When to use it
Use it when multiple AI experiences need a consistent, governed way to access business capabilities.
When not to use it
Do not expose broad production capabilities before defining authentication, authorization, and audit requirements.
How Automathing approaches it
We treat each tool as a product surface with explicit scopes, inputs, outputs, and logs.