At the Build 2025 developer conference, Microsoft announced native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in Windows 11, which will significantly simplify the development of applications and services using agent-based AI technologies.

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables AI models to seamlessly interact with data outside a specific application or service. It allows apps to exchange contextual information that AI tools or agents can utilize.

At the event, the company unveiled two key components for Windows 11:

• MCP Registry. A unified, secure, and reliable hub that allows AI agents on Windows to discover installed MCP servers, leverage their capabilities, and deliver meaningful value to end users.
• MCP Servers. These include core Windows system functions such as the file system, window management, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which will be exposed to AI agents as MCP-enabled servers.

Microsoft emphasizes that security and user data protection are top priorities in implementing MCP.

The company is collaborating with developers from Figma, Anthropic, and Perplexity on MCP integration. Microsoft’s own Windows App Actions will also take advantage of the MCP protocol in Windows 11.

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