Investor relations teams have never had more data at their fingertips, or more places to log in to find it. Ownership records, transcripts, filings and contact intelligence typically sit across separate provider platforms, and moving information between them by hand eats into the working day.

A new IR Impact playbook, written alongside S&P Global Market Intelligence, examines how the model context protocol (MCP) is changing that. An open standard introduced by Anthropic in November 2024, MCP lets AI assistants such as Claude query live data directly from a provider, rather than guessing from their training.

The playbook features Jonathan Hansen-Granger of S&P Global Market Intelligence, Dewey Steadman of Labcorp, Amy Gilkes of Shopify and Liz Krutoholow of Tempus AI. Together they explain how conversational queries are replacing manual data pulls, how small teams can punch above their weight and how connected data can help IROs spot activist accumulation sooner and prepare for special situations. It also sets out practical steps for teams that want to start experimenting today.

In it, you will learn: 

• What an MCP connection is, in plain terms, and why IR teams are turning to it as a trusted, governed source of data for their AI assistants
• How the shift from manual data pulls to real-time, conversational queries is unlocking value
• What ‘agent-friendly’ data infrastructure means for smaller IR teams, and how a lean function can scale its output and punch above its weight
• How MCP-connected data helps IR teams spot activist accumulation earlier, or prepare for special situations
• How IR teams can start innovating with MCP-connected tools today.

Read the Playbook

This article was written in association with IR Impact.