GitHub and Microsoft have officially joined the steering committee for MCP (Model Connection Protocol), a new standard developed by Anthropic that connects AI models to real-time data systems. The annoucement was made during Microsoft build 2025 conference. A few months ago, both OpenAI and Google said that their AI tools would support MCP.

What Is MCP and Why Does It Matter?

MCP is a technical standard that allows AI models to access and interact with data from enterprise tools, content repositories, software environments, and development platforms. This two-way data connection supports use cases like intelligent assistants, chatbots, and automated workflows. Developers can utilize “MCP servers” to expose data and services and build “MCp Clients” such as application and task workflows that connect to those servers as needed.

Microsoft and GitHub’s Role in Driving Adoption

Microsoft and GitHub have agreed to support the MCP on a wide range of systems, such as Windows 11 and Microsoft Azure. In upcoming months, Windows will feature MCP integrations that allow developers to make app functionalities accessible to AI models. According to Microsoft, developers will be able to package app features as MCP servers, exposing core Windows capabilities like File System, Windowing, and Windows Subsystem for Linux to AI-powered tools.

Advancing Security and Discoverability

Security and governance remain top priorities for the protocol. A lot of the MCP’s changing authorization system is made possible by Microsoft working closely with Anthropic and other stakeholders. The enhanced spec will allow AI apps to access sensitive resources like personal storage, APIs, and subscription services using trusted sign-in methods and robust access control. Meanwhile, GitHub is focusing on making MCP easier to adopt and scale. In collaboration with the steering committee, GitHub is co-developing an entry registry service, which allows the developers to manage their MCP server entries in centralized public or private repositories. 

This service will simplify the discovery, configuration, and management of diverse MCP implementations-key steps towards large-scale adoption. Given increasing support from several technology companies, it shapes up to be a foundational protocol in AI-data interoperability. Microsoft’s and GitHub’s involvement will not only increase the credibility of MCP as a standard. Still, it will also set the tone for more secure, scalable, and intelligent applications for the enterprise and developer ecosystems.