We primarily deliver data to clients via data feeds (FTP) and APIs. We provide several client-facing applications that allow clients to create and customize their feeds. These are web-based and hosted in the cloud.

Direct is a Windows desktop application that is installed locally on users’ computers. The Direct desktop application connects over the internet to databases and application servers hosted primarily in Morningstar data centers, with some use of cloud (AWS) infrastructure. Over time, we expect the balance of back-end services to shift to the cloud. A large portion of Direct’s features and functionality, as well as, we expect, most future enhancements, will be delivered using modern web components and frameworks delivered within the legacy application. Direct’s Analytics Lab module, a data analytics platform introduced in 2022, is 100% web-based and hosted in AWS.

Advisor Workstation is an entirely web-based product that provides clients access to research, portfolio analytics, investment planning, and proposal generation workflows.