Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for exposing tools and data sources to AI agents in a consistent, callable interface. In PLM, MCP servers expose product data, workflow operations, and integration capabilities so that AI agents can orchestrate tasks across engineering, manufacturing, and service systems without requiring custom point-to-point integrations.
Why it matters
MCP is the practical wiring that makes Agentic AI in PLM more than a slide. By standardizing how agents discover and call tools, it turns every PLM, CAD, simulation, and ERP system into something an agent can read from and write to with the same vocabulary. For PLM vendors, the urgent question is no longer "do we have an AI strategy?" but "do we expose MCP servers for our governed data, or do agents work around us?"
External References
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “Model Context Protocol (MCP).” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/model-context-protocol-mcp