MCP Weekly: The Agentic Explosion Hits Commerce, Work, and Cloud
Source: Dev.to
Welcome to the first MCP Weekly for 2026, covering major developments from January 1 through January 14. The theme over the past two weeks has been clear: commerce, work, and cloud are being reshaped by agents that don’t just assist but actually take actions. The next competitive surface is shifting toward the protocol layer, where the challenge lies in proving intent, enforcing limits, and ensuring safe actions.
At the National Retail Federation conference, Google stole the spotlight with the announcement of the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). UCP is an open‑source framework developed in collaboration with Shopify and Walmart. It aims to provide a common language for AI agents, covering the entire journey from product discovery to post‑purchase support.
Microsoft
In response to Google’s bold move, Microsoft introduced Copilot Checkout. This new feature enables shoppers to browse and purchase items without leaving the chat interface. What sets it apart is its integration with MCP. Copilot Studio now connects directly to MCP servers, grounding agent reasoning in real‑time inventory and pricing data.
Anthropic
Anthropic made waves with two major announcements:
- Cowork – a research preview that adapts the Claude Agent SDK for desktop workflows.
- Expansion of Anthropic Labs, a dedicated team focused on incubating experimental agent products that push the frontier of what Claude can do.
These developments are only the beginning. For a deeper dive into how these shifts will shape 2026 and what they mean for the future of agents in commerce, work, and cloud, see the full analysis on the main site: Continue Reading on Gentoro.