IDC Quanta and MCP

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI systems — chatbots, agents, coding assistants and other large language models — to the data, tools and content they need to answer real questions. It was introduced by Anthropic at the end of 2024 and was rapidly adopted across the industry: OpenAI added MCP support in ChatGPT and the Codex coding agent in 2025, Microsoft, Google and AI-native developer environments such as Cursor, Claude Code and GitHub Copilot all now “speak MCP”. By mid-2026, MCP has effectively become the default interface for AI systems to reach beyond their training data into live enterprise content.

MCP differs from a traditional API in three ways that matter to administrators, developers and the business users who eventually benefit from it.

• MCP is self-describing: a single endpoint advertises every tool, dataset and prompt the caller is entitled to, so an AI client can discover what it can do on the fly — no per-dataset integration project.
• MCP is conversational: instead of fetching a record by ID, an AI client asks a question and the MCP server returns a structured, source-cited answer the model can pass to the user.
• MCP is identity-aware: tools can be scoped to a project, group or team, and entitlements travel with every call.

Together, these properties unlock three classes of use case:

• agentic workflows where a GenAI tool (e.g. Claude, MS Copilot) does work end-to-end (research, sales briefs, competitive boards)
• AI knowledge bases where external content sits alongside the customer’s own documents
• developer-native workflows where engineers pull intelligence into Python pipelines, notebooks or IDEs (Integrated Developer Environments) without calling a REST endpoint by hand.

Future developments

MCP is an open standard. IDC’s MCP nucleus is available today in Claude and Microsoft Copilot, and is being extended to other partner surfaces and developer tools in 2026, so investing in IDC’s MCP today connects naturally to the tools your team will use tomorrow.

MCP is becoming the de facto protocol for connecting enterprise AI to outside intelligence. IDC aims to make Quanta’s intelligence fabric available wherever developers build — with the entitlement controls, IP protection and developer experience expected of a modern platform. If you would like to learn more about supported platforms or join an early-access programs, please contact your IDC account manager.

IDC Quanta in Claude is a production-grade MCP server that brings IDC’s research documents and quantitative data inside the Claude app. It is generally available today, through a Plugin for Claude distributed via Claude’s plugin directory. The Plugin bundles:

• an IDC Connector (the live MCP server linking Claude to IDC knowledge base)
• an IDC Quanta Skill that can be invoked by typing /idc-quanta in the chat. The IDC Quanta Skill is a packaged piece of know-how in natural language, covering dozens of common research-heavy workflows such as market share analysis, vendor evaluation, TAM and more, and the navigation, attribution and brand-voice rules that keep every answer auditable. The skill enables both IDC Quanta and Tech Leader workflows, which are triggered based on the customer’s entitlements. This ensures those workflows are performed with consistent output, just the way IDC experts would.

An IT admin adds the Plugin once from Claude’s plugin directory in the organization settings (see below) and it then becomes available to every IDC-entitled user the administrator unlocks. Directory-listed plugins update automatically whenever IDC pushes a new version.

Once an IT admin enables it inside Claude, every business or technical user with the right access can ask Claude an IDC-grounded question and receive a cited answer drawn from IDC Research, Trackers, Spending Guides, Black Book and other subscribed content — all without leaving the chat interface.

Group-level access is enforced automatically through OAuth single sign-on, and every answer carries an inline citation back to idc.com so reviewers and downstream consumers can verify the source.

How to enable IDC Quanta in Claude for your users

 
Prerequisites

• Claude Enterprise Edition or Claude Teams Edition installed and in use across your organization.
• Org-admin rights in your Claude environment.

 
Benefits of the Plugin

Adding the IDC Quanta Plugin from Claude’s plugin directory allows:

• One install covers the whole organization. The IDC Skill, navigation rules, brand voice and the MCP connector all activate in a single step.
• Answers are audit-ready by default. Every IDC-grounded response carries inline citations, source dates, and a live link back to the original IDC source.
• Automatic updates. Directory-listed plugins update automatically whenever IDC pushes a new version.
• Coverage extends across the Claude surface. Once enabled, the plugin works in Claude desktop and web, Claude in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and PowerPoint add-ins), and Claude Chrome extension.

 
Install steps (admin)

1. In Claude, open Organization settings → Libraries → Plugins.
2. Click + Add plugins → Directory, search for IDC Quanta in Claude’s plugin directory and add it.
3. Choose how the IDC Quanta plugin is distributed to your organization — one of four settings:
   • Plugin available for install — IDC Quanta plugin appears in the org’s plugin marketplace and end users can install (or uninstall) it themselves. Depending on how the org’s admin configures the managed setting, end users may or may not be able to see the IDC Quanta plugin in the directory.
   • Installed by default — the admin pre-installs the IDC Quanta plugin for the org; users have the option to disable it.
   • Not available (unlikely path) — IDC Quanta is hidden from the plugin marketplace and no one can install it.
   • Required (unlikely path) — the admin pre-installs IDC Quanta and users cannot disable it.
4. Verify in Customize → Organization plugins that IDC Quanta is listed and available for the org.

 
Enable IDC Quanta (end users)

Once the plugin is distributed across the organization, end users are able to find the plugin in the directory and install it themselves or use the plugin directly (if the admin has installed on the users’ behalf) in Claude. Each user authenticates with SSO or their own IDC credentials to enable the plugin.

IDC Quanta in Copilot is a production-grade MCP server that brings IDC’s research documents and quantitative data inside Microsoft Copilot. The IDC federated connector is listed in the Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors gallery, and the IDC plugin for Copilot Cowork is deployed through the Microsoft 365 admin center. The Plugin bundles:

• an IDC federated connector (the live MCP server linking Microsoft Copilot to IDC knowledge base). Content is pulled dynamically through MCP, and no IDC content is indexed into Microsoft 365.
• an IDC Quanta Skill that triggers naturally based on the user’s query. The skill enables IDC Quanta workflows, applied according to the customer’s entitlements, and keeps every answer consistent with the way IDC experts would perform it.

The experience depends on the user’s Copilot access. Business users with Copilot Cowork get the full plugin, the IDC connector plus the IDC Quanta Skill. Business users with Copilot Chat get the IDC connector only, without the skill.

An IT admin completes two separate workstreams in the Microsoft 365 admin center (see below): enabling the IDC federated connector, and deploying the IDC Cowork plugin to entitled users. Once enabled, every business or technical user with the right access can ask Copilot an IDC-grounded question and receive a cited answer drawn from IDC Research, Trackers, Spending Guides, Black Book and other subscribed content — all without leaving Copilot.

Access follows each user’s IDC entitlements, users authenticate with SSO or their IDC credentials, and every answer carries an inline citation back to idc.com so reviewers and downstream consumers can verify the source.

How to enable IDC Quanta in Copilot for your users

Prerequisites

• Microsoft 365 admin center access with permission to approve Copilot connectors and deploy agents in your organization.
• Microsoft Copilot licenses for your users. Copilot Cowork is required for the full plugin (connector plus skill). Users with Copilot Chat can use the IDC connector only.

Benefits of the Plugin

• Two workstreams, one experience. Enabling the connector and deploying the plugin once makes IDC Quanta available to every entitled user you choose, by all users or by specific users and groups.
• Answers are audit-ready by default. Every IDC-grounded response carries inline citations, source dates, and a live link back to the original IDC source.
• IDC content stays with IDC. Content is fetched dynamically through MCP and is never indexed into Microsoft 365.
• The right experience for each user. Cowork users get the connector and the skill, and Copilot Chat users get the connector as a source.

Install steps (admin)

1. Approve and enable the IDC federated connector. The connector is listed in the Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors gallery. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Copilot connectors, locate the IDC connector, then approve and enable it for the organization.
2. Deploy the IDC Cowork plugin to entitled users. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Agents → All agents (or Agents → Tools), find the IDC plugin and open the plugin details. Under Installed for, choose All users or specific users/groups, click Next and install.

Note: Cowork plugins are Microsoft 365 app packages containing connectors, skills, or both. Once deployed, the plugin is auto-acquired and appears in target users’ Cowork conversations.

Enable IDC Quanta (end users)

Once the plugin is distributed across the organization, end users are able to find the IDC plugin in Customize or Settings option. Each user authenticates with SSO or their own IDC credentials to enable the plugin.

Commercial Support

For questions regarding licensing and entitlement (e.g., “How many seats does our contract cover?”), commercial access (contract terms and existing coverage, pricing, renewals, expansions etc.), general inquiries about IDC’s offerings (including APIs, Quanta in Claude, Quanta in Copilot, MCP), contact your Customer Support or Sales representative. If you do not know or have one, please use IDC Contact.

Technical Support

IDC Support provides technical support for the IDC platform, which includes the Quanta in Claude and Quanta in Copilot (MCP connector) installation. IDC Support business hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM ET

• MCP connector set-up/installation: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM ET
• MCP connector issues: 24/7 (P1 or P2 severity)
• Contact: idc_support@idc.com

For critical production incidents outside business hours, IDC offers 24×7 incident response support for Priority 1 and Priority 2 severity issues:

• Priority 1: complete service outage
• Priority 2: major feature degradation

Please reach out to idc_support@idc.com immediately if you believe you are experiencing a critical production issue.