Case Study: Large Texas County Relies on Netsync to Broadcast Commissioners Court Meetings

The Challenge

As one of the state and country’s largest county governing bodies, County Commissioners Courts are relied on by citizens to not only set tax rates, maintain the physical infrastructures, oversee courthouses and jails, and set and maintain the budgets, but now provide direction and support amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a staggering amount of responsibility, especially when you’re one of the largest counties in the country.

Much of what Commissioners Courts must provide to its citizens comes down to one word—communications. When you’re responsible for serving a county that is one of the 10 largest in the country, communications means disseminating information timely, effectively, and reliably. Citizens need easy access to the latest news, available resources, and points of contact. And they demand that level of information now more than ever, even though meetings are taking place virtually and, as a result, are precluding citizens from attending them in-person and asking questions about pressing issues. At a time when millions of citizens are relying on local governments more than ever, many are relying on the collaboration professionals at Netsync.

Integrating Cisco Webex With Commissioners Court’s Existing Platform

To help support their requirement to implement social distancing while remaining productive, this Commissioners Court turned to Netsync―one of the preeminent technology solutions providers for State and Local Government and Education―to deploy Cisco Webex Event Center. As a Cisco Gold Master Collaboration Partner, Netsync has successfully deployed Webex for hundreds of SLED customers. Cisco Webex Event Center helps users plan an event, engage the audience, and follow up and measure success to more effectively host meetings for a broad audience. Cisco Webex Event Center features integrated video and audio to allow participants to see and hear presenters and panelists in high resolution.

Next, Netsync’s solutions architects and engineers used software that allows for integration between Webex and social media streaming platforms. For Harris County, however, they customized the software to integrate with Swagit, a video streaming and broadcast platform solution used by many local, state and federal government agencies.

Not only were virtual attendees able to watch live the Harris County Commissioners Court proceedings on the county’s website, but they were able to register ahead of time to speak and ask questions, just like they’re provided when attending the meetings live and in person.

According to the county’s Head of Telecommunications, “The ultimate test of leadership is measured by how you respond in times of crisis. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Commissioners Court has taken tremendous pride in our ability to continue to effectively help and communicate with the citizens we serve. And Netsync has played a big part in helping us do that.”

Solutions to Keep Customers Productive, Informed, and Connected

Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Netsync has been faced with customer issues that have demanded our engineers and solutions architects design and deploy creative solutions to sustain productivity while helping employees, government workers, citizens, students, and educators remain safe. While the solution Netsync designed and deployed for the Harris County Commissioners Court was perfect for their needs, it’s also a great solution for any organization that needs to live stream a Webex meeting to an audience that could number in the tens, hundreds, or thousands. Our collaboration experts can deliver to your organization what they have for years—advanced solutions that enhance collaboration, elevate the user experience, and keep users productive, informed, and connected.