Trending Model Context Protocol for AI Agents Gets C# SDK

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) for agentic AI has gained significant traction since its introduction by Anthropic in November, and now it boasts a new C# SDK.

Overview of MCP

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard designed to integrate large language models (LLMs) with external tools and data sources. This enables AI agents to perform autonomous tasks, such as interacting with UIs to book flights or retrieve data.

Microsoft and Anthropic Partnership

Anthropic open-sourced MCP, and Microsoft, in collaboration with Anthropic, has released the ModelContextProtocol NuGet package. Despite being in an early preview version (0.1.0-preview.8), the package has already surpassed 21,000 downloads.

MCP NuGet (source: Microsoft)

Rapid Adoption and Industry Support

Microsoft described MCP's adoption as "rapid," with major players like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and others integrating the standard into their platforms. Google has also introduced a complementary protocol called A2A, which works alongside MCP to facilitate communication among AI models.

MCP Architecture (source: Microsoft)

Integration with Microsoft Products

MCP is already being leveraged in several Microsoft offerings, including:

• GitHub Copilot Agent Mode in Visual Studio Code v1.99
• Semantic Kernel
• Playwright MCP for browser automation

Microsoft highlighted that many of its core products, such as Visual Studio, Azure services, and Microsoft Teams, are written in C#, making the new SDK a natural fit for further integration.

C# SDK Benefits

The C# SDK aims to:

1. Simplify the creation of MCP servers in C#.
2. Enhance performance using modern .NET optimizations.
3. Support containerization for local development scenarios.

Samples are available in the project's GitHub repo.

Future Outlook

With MCP's growing adoption and Microsoft's commitment to expanding its ecosystem, the protocol is poised to play a pivotal role in the future of agentic AI. The C# SDK marks a significant step toward broader accessibility for developers in the enterprise space.