MCP as an Integration Protocol

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Don Murray from Safe Software opened by noting that MCP is an integration protocol, similar to what existed 30 years ago. At a recent show, someone thought MCP meant “Microsoft Certified Professional.” Now MCP servers are proliferating. Over 12,000 MCP endpoints exist. The key question from customers: “Can you connect to my system?” MCP provides a standard answer.

Bringing Hard Data to AI

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The easy data (Slack, GitHub, Google Docs) already has MCP. The hard data includes legacy databases from 1998, CAD files, geospatial data (Esri, PostGIS), BIM (Revit), real-time sensors, and on-premise critical data. Safe Software has spent 32 years solving this. They bring hard data to MCP. Murray’s claim: “The best data for your AI is all the data.”

FME as an MCP Server

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FME is a no-code data integration platform. It supports 500+ systems. Any workflow built in FME can be published as an MCP server. AI calls a tool, the tool calls a workspace, returns a result. Customers build MCP servers without knowing what MCP is. MCP clients include AI and other integration tools. Users can choose any AI (OpenAI, Gemini, Claude).

Demo: Vancouver City Explorer

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Murray demonstrated Claude Co-Work using an MCP server called Vancouver City Explorer. The server has a tool “neighborhood profile” built on Vancouver open data. Claude called it to answer questions about schools and green space. Then Murray created a new tool “economic profile” from scratch in FME, published it, and Claude used it to compare neighborhoods. Claude generated an HTML visualization. No code needed.

Notable Quotes

“It’s an integration protocol.” Don Murray · ▶ Watch (0:58)

“We talk about the hard data.” Don Murray · ▶ Watch (3:03)

“The best data for for your AI is all the data.” Don Murray · ▶ Watch (6:17)

“You don’t have to really know what MCP is, you just publish it and away it goes.” Don Murray · ▶ Watch (17:28)

Key Takeaways

  • MCP is an integration protocol that connects AI to any data source.
  • Safe Software’s FME platform enables no-code MCP server creation for hard data.
  • The best AI outcomes come from accessing all data, including legacy and spatial.

About the Speaker(s)

Don Murray is a Canadian entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Safe Software, a company at the forefront of data integration. His entrepreneurial journey began in 1993 when Safe Software was launched, driven by a vision to enhance data integration technology.