The Model Context Protocol (MCP) establishes a universal interface allowing agents to connect to any compliant tool or dataset. Instead of writing bespoke integrations for every data source, teams adopt MCP to provide plug-and-play tool surfaces. MCP servers expose file systems, APIs, databases, and browser actions through a consistent schema. But MCP is ultimately a tool surface, not a memory operating system. If you need automatic lifecycle behavior — such as pre-fetching context before reasoning, post-turn capture after execution, or pre-compressing long sessions before truncation — native hooks or plugins are often the better mechanism. Use MCP for standardized access; use hooks when the lifecycle itself must run automatically.
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