What is the Model Context Protocol and why does Claude need it?

The Model Context Protocol, known as MCP, is a communication layer that gives Claude access to context and tools without requiring developers to write a lot of tedious integration code. Think of it as a way to shift the burden of tool definitions and execution away from your own server and onto specialized MCP servers. When you build an application, your server acts as an MCP host that connects through MCP clients to one or more MCP servers. Each MCP server exposes tools, prompts, and resources that wrap functionality from some outside service. This standardized interface means your application gets immediate access to powerful integrations without you having to implement them from scratch.