Define the contract.
Specify the task, inputs, expected output and completion state. Agree how each agent reports progress, uncertainty and failure.
Connected agents
Different agents.One connected workflow.
Let specialist agents exchange work without losing ownership of the task. Defined interfaces, explicit authority and a record of what happened.
Explore the capabilityENGINEERING FOCUS
01Defined task
02Authenticated handover
03Validated result
Connect only what needs connecting.
A single workflow is often enough. When separate teams, platforms or capabilities need to cooperate, agent-to-agent integration can create a controlled handover rather than another silo.
Keep trust explicit.
Authenticate the other service and validate what it returns. Delegating a task must not silently widen access.
Trace the whole job.
Track responsibility, retries, cancellation and overall cost. A completed subtask does not automatically mean the complete workflow succeeded.
A possible workflowIllustrative example.
A research agent hands an approved request to a scheduling service and checks the returned booking status.
MCP connects models to tools and information; A2A supports communication between agents. Neither removes the need for application-level permission checks.
A closer look
Good questions.
Straight answers.
Do we need a multi-agent system?
Not necessarily. Start with the simplest architecture that meets the requirement. Add specialist agents only when the separation is useful.
Can agents from different vendors cooperate?
Interoperability protocols provide a starting point. Capability discovery, supported features and security still need testing across the actual implementations.
Technical reference: Agent2Agent: protocol documentation (opens in a new tab)
Keep exploring