iManage launches MCP Server to link content with AI

iManage has launched its MCP Server to connect its content platform with artificial intelligence systems, giving organisations a standard route into AI tools.

The server uses the Model Context Protocol to let AI systems access content held inside the iManage platform without separate custom integrations for each tool. It is designed to work with systems such as Harvey, Legora, ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and internally developed AI agents.

The launch comes as professional services firms and legal teams expand their use of multiple AI products rather than relying on a single supplier. That has raised practical questions about how those systems should connect to document stores and other internal knowledge sources while still meeting security and compliance requirements.

According to iManage, the server avoids bulk document exports by allowing AI systems to access material where it already sits. Access remains authenticated, tied to user permissions and logged, while existing ethical walls and access controls are maintained.

The move targets a common barrier to adoption identified in the company's own market research. Findings from the iManage Knowledge Work Benchmark Report 2026 show that 32% of organisations cite integration complexity as one of the biggest obstacles to AI adoption, while nearly half of global leaders expect new legal frameworks to emerge within the decade to govern AI-to-AI interactions.

iManage is positioning the server as a way for firms to add or replace AI products without building a new connection each time. That matters in sectors such as law, accounting and corporate legal work, where firms are testing several AI tools at once and want to avoid dependence on a single vendor.

Market pressure

For knowledge-based businesses, the issue is not simply whether to adopt AI, but how to connect new systems to sensitive information without increasing operational risk. Document and email management platforms have become central infrastructure in many professional services firms, making terms of access a critical part of any AI deployment.

Neil Araujo, Chief Executive Officer of iManage, said customers are already moving in that direction. "Customers are not choosing one AI tool and stopping there. They are already experimenting with multiple AI systems, and the real challenge is connecting those tools to the knowledge that matters most without creating new governance gaps or operational complexity," he said.

He added: "iManage MCP Server gives organisations a governed way to do that - enabling permission-aware access to business-critical knowledge that remains governed within iManage, while giving teams the flexibility to adopt the AI tools that make the most sense for their business."

The product forms a single connection layer between the iManage platform and external AI systems. Because MCP is an open standard, the company argues firms can avoid building a growing list of separate application programming interface links as their AI estates become more varied.

Client response

One early customer pointed to the operational challenge of treating each AI use case as a separate project. Mike Peters, information manager at RSM Australia, said the product could provide a more consistent way to connect AI systems to controlled content.

"We are already investing in AI tools across the business, but the real value comes from being able to connect those tools securely to the governed knowledge held in iManage," he said.

He added: "The iManage MCP Server provides a practical pathway to do that without treating each AI use case as a bespoke integration project. For an organisation managing sensitive client information, the ability to connect AI capabilities to permission-aware, governed content is an exciting development and aligns strongly with the modern way of working."

iManage said the product sits within its broader AI offering and is aimed at organisations that want AI systems to draw directly from governed source material rather than copied or exported data. The company argues this should reduce duplication and help users obtain responses grounded in current content stored within the platform.

The business says it is used by more than one million professionals across 4,000 organisations worldwide. That customer base is concentrated in sectors where document governance, audit trails and information barriers are significant operational requirements.

The release of a standardised connection also reflects a wider shift in enterprise software towards common protocols for AI interaction. As customers assemble combinations of specialist legal AI tools, general-purpose assistants and internal agents, vendors are under pressure to show that sensitive corporate information can be accessed in a controlled way without extensive redevelopment work.

For iManage, the launch is a bet that customers want AI choice without loosening the controls already built around their document and knowledge systems.