AI Agent Distribution

Software distribution is impacted by the different compute paradigms we move through. From client/server software to web/cloud, touch/mobile, and current conversational/agentic software.

The appearance of the web back in the 1990s meant users could start to access functionality in the cloud, without the need to install software on their computers. The browser acted as the access point to software features and commerce.

The proliferation of mobile platforms also meant users could access any functionality wherever they were, without worrying about compatibility with operating systems or apps. If the user saw the app in the App Store, they could install it and access the app’s features. The App Store created an abstraction layer that simplified software distribution significantly.

AI agents enable a new way to interact with software in a conversational manner (text, voice, ambient, etc), opening up new distribution challenges and opportunities. This natural language interaction capability will open up new user pools that may have had technical limitations in the past. Several platforms are starting to create discovery initiatives that allow human users (and soon other AI agents) access to these agentic features:

Google: https://console.cloud.google.com/marketplace/browse?filter=category:ai-agent
AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/solutions/ai-agents-and-tools
Salesforce: https://agentexchange.salesforce.com/
ServiceNow: https://store.servicenow.com/store/ai-marketplace
Workday: https://marketplace.workday.com/en-US/pages/ai
MCP Registry: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry
A2A Registry: https://github.com/a2aproject/A2A/discussions/741

The distribution landscape of AI agents is still nascent and will continue to evolve rapidly in the short term.

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