Cisco donates agentic AI platform Agntcy to Linux Foundation

Cisco donates Agntcy project to Linux Foundation in the hope it gets AI agents interacting elegantly

Cisco's Agntcy project is the latest AI framework to find refuge at the Linux Foundation. Developed by Cisco in collaboration with LangChain and Galileo, the Agntcy project bills itself as the "internet of agents" designed to facilitate discovery and identification of software bots, messaging among them, and observability of their actions.

Agntcy provides missing pieces needed to build, debug, and secure multi-agent systems.

The idea is that developers will need secure tools to connect agents from different vendors, regardless of the frameworks, tool calling paradigms, or communication protocols the software uses. "Building the foundational infrastructure for the internet of agents requires community ownership, not vendor control," said Vijoy Pandey, SVP of Cisco's Outshift division, in a statement. "The Linux Foundation ensures this critical infrastructure remains neutral and accessible to everyone building multi-agent systems." Agntcy is not the first agentic framework or protocol the Linux Foundation has taken on. Last month, Google donated its Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocol to the foundation. A2A provides a common language AI agents use to discover and delegate tasks to one another. IBM has also contributed several open source projects, including its own agent-to-agent platform called BeeAI. Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP), while not a Linux Foundation project, has become popular for connecting AI systems to data sources, APIs, and tools. As explored previously, A2A and MCP are only parts of a much bigger agentic AI puzzle. Agntcy aims to fill in the missing pieces needed to build, debug, and secure multi-agent systems. For example, connecting an agent based on A2A with another using the Agent Connect Protocol (ACP) would require a wrapper to translate between the two. Agntcy's collection of protocols and software frameworks can act as a universal translator, enabling agents to exchange information seamlessly. The framework also supports communications over the secure low-latency interactive messaging (SLIM) protocol. Agntcy has gained considerable support from over 60 companies. Five major contributors—Cisco, Dell, Google, Oracle, and Red Hat—have committed to further development under the Linux Foundation's governance.

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Source: Cisco donates agentic AI platform Agntcy to Linux Foundation (The Register, 30 July 2025)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

About Agntcy and AI Agents

Q: What is the Agntcy project? A: Agntcy is an AI framework developed by Cisco in collaboration with LangChain and Galileo, designed as the "internet of agents" to facilitate the discovery, communication, and observation of software bots. Q: What problem does Agntcy aim to solve? A: Agntcy aims to provide the necessary tools to build, debug, and secure multi-agent systems, enabling secure connections between agents from different vendors, regardless of their underlying frameworks or protocols. Q: What does "internet of agents" mean in the context of Agntcy? A: It signifies a network where AI agents from various sources can discover, communicate, and interact with each other securely and efficiently, acting as a unified ecosystem. Q: How does Agntcy relate to other agentic frameworks like A2A and MCP? A: Agntcy is designed to complement and integrate with other agentic frameworks. It acts as a universal translator, enabling seamless information exchange between agents using different protocols, such as A2A and MCP, by filling in the missing pieces for building robust multi-agent systems. Q: Which companies support the Agntcy project? A: Agntcy has support from over 60 companies, with Cisco, Dell, Google, Oracle, and Red Hat being major contributors committed to its further development under the Linux Foundation.

Linux Foundation and Open Source AI

Q: Why was Agntcy donated to the Linux Foundation? A: Cisco donated Agntcy to the Linux Foundation to ensure community ownership and a neutral, accessible platform for all developers building multi-agent systems, preventing vendor control. Q: Are there other agentic frameworks hosted by the Linux Foundation? A: Yes, the Linux Foundation also hosts Google's Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocol and IBM's agent-to-agent platform, BeeAI.

Crypto Market AI's Take

The development and open-sourcing of projects like Cisco's Agntcy highlight a significant trend in the AI landscape: the increasing need for interoperability and standardization. As AI agents become more sophisticated and integrated into various applications, the ability for them to communicate and collaborate securely is paramount. This movement towards open frameworks, championed by entities like the Linux Foundation, is crucial for fostering innovation and preventing fragmentation. For businesses and developers looking to leverage AI in their operations, understanding these foundational shifts is key. Our platform provides insights into how AI agents are transforming various sectors, including finance. Explore our resources on AI agents and their impact to understand the broader implications of these technological advancements.

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