MCP, short for Model, Context, Protocol, just turned one. It is still relatively new outside of tech circles, yet it is rapidly becoming one of the most important ideas in AI infrastructure. By enabling LLMs to connect with tools and external data, MCP is helping define how data analytics can be further democratized in an AI era.
If MCP is new to you, consider this analogy. Over the years as a home owner I have collected a variety of different contacts for various trades. I have a trusted electrician, plumber, and pool guy among others. I keep these numbers in my phone in case something happens and I need their expertise.
Similarly, MCP Servers act like those skilled contacts. Whenever your AI needs a specialist such as a plumber or electrician, it now has a way to contact them and get their help.
The Coming Wave of ChatGPT Apps
With the release of ChatGPT Apps next year, MCP has the opportunity to become mainstream. If done successfully, 800 million weekly users and over 1 million businesses will see this paradigm shift in realtime.
In 2026, ChatGPT will not just be a chatbot. With the right data and integrations, it could become the command center that runs your business. Combine this with what is already happening in 2025 where more and more business workloads are shifting to AI tools like ChatGPT. Working with data outside these tools has become increasingly tedious in comparison.
What We Are Seeing at smashDATA
I believe this is why we are seeing early data showing above average engagement using smashDATA. We are watching users explore their analytics more deeply and gain a richer, more intuitive understanding of their data when compared to legacy tools.
Data understanding can take shape in many ways. Sometimes visually is best and graphs and tables do this well. Other times voice conversations are a more natural way to explore business trends. Supporting multiple modalities and interactive follow up questions is key for true understanding.
- Analytics is a multilayered question.
- Follow up questions matter as much as the original metrics.
- Users need freedom to shift between visuals, conversation, and exploration.
This is why smashDATA in ChatGPT is an important release for us. What we learn in beta and release in 2026 can help Small Business owners unlock the data sprawled across their tools and gain a better understanding of their data and analytics.
A Shift Toward Chat First Interfaces
It appears we are embarking on a major shift from UI heavy applications toward a world where apps and actions take place from within the chat box. We at smashDATA could not be more excited for how this could help our clients.
