A2A Protocol (Agent-to-Agent)
Google's open standard for communication between AI agents from different providers – enables interoperability in multi-agent systems.
A2A standardizes how AI agents from different providers communicate with each other – the "HTTP for agents".
Explanation
A2A defines how agents delegate tasks, exchange results, and share context. Complementary to MCP: MCP connects agents to tools/data, A2A connects agents to each other. Agent Cards describe capabilities; Task Objects standardize task formats.
Marketing Relevance
Enables enterprise agent ecosystems: A Google agent can collaborate with an Anthropic agent. Critical for scalable multi-vendor solutions.
Example
A Salesforce agent delegates market analysis to a specialized research agent, which in turn uses a content agent for summaries – all communicate via A2A.
Common Pitfalls
Still early adoption, ecosystem building. Complexity in error handling for multi-agent systems. Security challenges in cross-vendor communication.
Origin & History
Google released A2A in April 2025 as an open standard, supported by over 50 partners (Salesforce, SAP, Atlassian). Goal: Interoperability like web APIs.
Comparisons & Differences
A2A Protocol (Agent-to-Agent) vs. MCP
MCP connects agents to tools and data sources; A2A connects agents to each other for task delegation.