We design agentic systems using open protocols - MCP for tool access, A2A for agent collaboration - so your agents interoperate across vendors, systems, and organizational boundaries.
The Protocol Landscape
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Created by Anthropic. Standardizes how agents connect to tools, APIs, and data sources. Like USB for AI agents - plug any tool into any agent.
A2A (Agent-to-Agent Protocol)
Created by Google. Standardizes how independent agents discover each other, negotiate, and collaborate on shared tasks.
Why both matter
MCP handles vertical integration (agent→tools). A2A handles horizontal collaboration (agent↔agent). Enterprise systems need both.
How We Use Protocols
Universal tool access
Agents connect to any enterprise system via MCP servers. No custom integrations per vendor.
Cross-boundary collaboration
Agents from different departments or organizations coordinate via A2A without sharing internal state.
Vendor independence
Switch LLM providers, tools, or platforms without rewriting agent logic. Protocols are the abstraction layer.
AWS Bedrock AgentCore native
Built on AgentCore Gateway which provides MCP support, session isolation, and credential management.
Why This Matters for Enterprises
40% of enterprise apps will feature AI agents by end of 2026 (Gartner). Without protocol standards, every agent becomes another silo. MCP and A2A prevent the next generation of vendor lock-in.
Frequently Asked Questions
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard created by Anthropic that defines how AI agents connect to tools, APIs, and data sources. Like USB for AI agents, MCP allows any tool to plug into any agent regardless of vendor — enabling interoperability across enterprise systems without custom integrations.
A2A (Agent-to-Agent Protocol) is an open standard created by Google that enables AI agents from different vendors and systems to discover each other, negotiate, and collaborate on shared tasks. A2A allows specialized agents to coordinate actions across organizational and vendor boundaries.
Open agent protocols prevent vendor lock-in in agentic architectures. Without standards like MCP and A2A, every agent integration requires custom connectors that break when vendors update their APIs. Open protocols create interoperable agents that work across your entire enterprise tech stack.
Tactical Edge designs agentic systems using MCP for tool access and A2A for agent collaboration, built on AWS Bedrock AgentCore Gateway which provides native MCP support, session isolation, and credential management. This ensures agents interoperate across vendors and remain maintainable over time.
Design Your Agent Architecture