Google Cloud drops MCP and A2A protocols: Because your AI agents weren't drowning in acronyms already, plus three bonus labs to 'hello world' a currency converter

Google Cloud has introduced a series of hands-on labs to help developers build production-ready agentic systems, where intelligent agents can collaborate and act seamlessly. The Agent Production Patterns module, part of the Production-Ready AI with Google Cloud Learning Path, focuses on interoperability and standard protocols for connecting agents to data, tools, and each other. The labs utilize the Agent Development Kit, Model Context Protocol, and Agent to Agent Protocol to demonstrate how to build specialized agents, such as a currency agent that handles exchange rates. Developers can also learn to connect agents to databases, including BigQuery and CloudSQL, using the MCP Toolbox. By adopting standards like MCP and A2A, developers can build agents that are easier to maintain and scale. The labs provide practical patterns for connecting agents to data, tools, and each other, helping to bridge the gap from prototype to production-grade AI application, with the goal of creating more efficient and collaborative agentic systems.