Bateman Accounting Finds Peace of Mind with Right Networks Hosting and Managed Security

The Company

Richard E. Bateman has run Bateman Accounting & Financial Services in Bourbonnais, Illinois since 1983. The three-person firm offers a wide range of services, including tax preparation, financial consulting, insurance and annuity expertise, and retirement planning.

Chandria Morgan has served as Office Manager and Staff Member at Bateman Accounting since November 2021. She previously worked for a larger accounting firm in downtown Chicago but has known Mr. Bateman for years.

The Challenge

Although Morgan doesn’t have an IT background, her experiences with former employers enabled her to learn what kind of technology a firm needs to operate safely and efficiently.

“In working with IT staff in prior years, a lot of what I learned about computers and security was something I realized we needed here,” she says.

The firm’s “network” was on a single computer and required upgrading. Over time, the firm’s portal provider was incapable of maintaining the level of protection required for the size of Bateman’s client base. The portal provider was also not forthcoming with update notifications. The firm wasn’t saving money either because the software was expensive, according to Morgan.

Morgan sums up the situation succinctly: “To say the least, the portal provider had lost my trust, and we were in need of help.”

The Solution

After responding to an email, Morgan started working with Terri Blattenbauer, Account Executive for CPA Solutions at Right Networks. The Right Networks team turned the firm’s situation around completely. Bateman Accounting was already a heavy user of Drake tax software. Morgan explained Mr. Bateman’s vision for the firm: “His desire was to have a Drake umbrella, and everything fall under it.”

With Right Networks, Mr. Bateman saw his vision become reality. The firm moved its data out of its local network computer and into the Right Networks cloud, where Drake applications run. Bateman Accounting also ditched its unreliable portal vendor and switched to a Right Networks portal.

“We have all of our data in the cloud securely,” Morgan says. “All of it. Just logging into one place where everything is has been amazing.”

Bateman Accounting also began managing cybersecurity by adopting Right Networks Managed Security. The firm protects its work computers with the Secure Workstation managed offering and relies on the security expertise of Right Networks experts to keep its data safe.

“I love the fact that we know we are secure,” Morgan says. “It is so nice knowing that everything is there and secure.”

Why Right Networks?

From the beginning, Morgan says, Right Networks offered excellent support. She offers high praise for Blattenbauer, whom she credits with a painless transition to the cloud. Within a couple of months, Bateman Accounting was up and running in the cloud and enjoying managed security.

“It was seamless,” Morgan says. “When the Right Networks team would call during the migration, they’d ask us to check with our IT person. I’d immediately start laughing because it was me. But I’m not an IT person. That’s not my profession.”

Her limited IT expertise wasn’t an issue. The Right Networks team eased Bateman Accounting into the cloud.

“The communication level, everything about the transition was top notch from start to finish,” Morgan states. “The people at Right Networks walked me through what I needed to do. It was amazing. I learned so much from them. They were so kind and personable and friendly. I tie that into Terri. I feel like I’ve known her all my life.”

And Right Networks continues to be a resource for Morgan and Bateman Accounting. “I am responsible for as much as I need to be,” Morgan says, “but when it’s outside of my scope, I need help. I know I can reach out to Right Networks.”

The Impact

Bateman Accounting now has easy access to client data, strong cybersecurity and the ability to communicate electronically with clients through a reliable portal. All of that has led to a better work experience for the firm’s employees.

“I want our staff to have a healthy and happy work life. This is a tremendous help,” asserts Morgan.

Clients love the cloud as well.

“The portal is a huge asset. We have clients out of state. They can upload and download information and e-sign documents. We can upload clients’ tax returns. We do more electronic activity now than we have in years past, and clients find it extremely convenient. They have provided several compliments during this 2022 tax season. They appreciate the ease of it.”

But perhaps the greatest benefit has been peace of mind, particularly for Mr. Bateman, the firm’s founder and owner. Morgan has immense respect for Mr. Bateman and is thrilled to see him happy.

“He is no longer concerned about the required level of software security for the firm. With Right Networks, we were able to fulfill our needs for what Mr. Bateman had wanted to be done for years. The cloud has been literally a life changer for our office and is a way of life now.”