AGNTCY, an Agent framework backed by leading tech companies including Cisco, Dell and Google, has donated its entire multi-agent framework to the Linux Foundation. This move tackles a pressing challenge: enabling AI agents to collaborate across enterprises without rebuilding integrations every time.
Why an “Internet of Agents” Is Essential
Despite their growing power, today’s AI agents often operate in isolation, speaking different “languages” that hinder cross-system collaboration. Enterprises need agents that work together to orchestrate IT operations, business tasks, and scientific workflows.
AGNTCY addresses this gap by proposing an open, interoperable, and quantum-safe infrastructure for agent collaboration, much like the early internet unified separate networks.
By donating the full stack including specifications, code, and services, AGNTCY ensures these tools are available to the broader community, not just exclusive partners.
AGNTCY Architecture Credit: Cisco
Core Innovations from AGNTCY
- Agent Discovery: The Open Agent Schema Framework (OASF) and decentralized Agent Directory allow agents to find one another and understand capabilities, similar to how DNS works for the web.
- Agent Identity: Cryptographically verifiable identities and strong access control empower agents to interact securely across organizations.
- Agent Messaging: The SLIM protocol ensures rapid, secure, multimodal communication among agents, humans, and tools, with quantum-safe encryption.
- Agent Observability: Dedicated frameworks and SDKs offer transparency into complex agent workflows, accommodating the probabilistic nature of modern AI.
- Protocol Integration: AGNTCY components are compatible with standards like Agent2Agent (A2A) and Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling message exchange and monitoring regardless of vendor or deployment.
Industry Support and Perspectives
Major technology companies are rallying behind AGNTCY’s vision:
- Dell Technologies underscores that open standards are key to maximizing AI’s value across diverse environments.
- Galileo values AGNTCY’s observability tools for scaling reliable AI agents and sees neutral governance as critical for adoption.
- Google Cloud advocates for open, community-driven standards to foster a vibrant agentic AI ecosystem.
- Oracle highlights the need for secure agent infrastructure in high-stakes enterprise settings and praises AGNTCY’s move to the Linux Foundation.
- Red Hat sees AGNTCY as a catalyst for open, agnostic governance, empowering innovation for customers and communities alike.
The Value of Neutral, Open Governance
Open infrastructure thrives when managed by a neutral body. The Linux Foundation, with its proven track record stewarding projects like Kubernetes and PyTorch, offers trusted, community-driven governance for AGNTCY. This approach ensures sustainability, attracts diverse contributions, and reassures enterprises that no single vendor dictates the project’s direction.
Next Steps for AGNTCY
AGNTCY’s components are moving to Linux Foundation stewardship, with active working groups (Core, Identity, Observability & Evaluation) continuing their work. Developers, enterprises, and researchers are invited to participate, accelerate innovation, and shape the future “Internet of Agents.” Open-source code is available on GitHub, and webinars will cover integration with protocols like A2A and MCP.
Building Collaborative AI’s Future
AGNTCY’s move to the Linux Foundation marks a pivotal moment for agentic AI. By standardizing how agents discover, identify, communicate, and collaborate, the industry moves closer to robust, open, interoperable multi-agent ecosystems. The opportunity is here for anyone to help build a future where AI agents work together as effortlessly as people do.
AGNTCY Ushers in the “Internet of Agents” by Joining the Linux Foundation