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The world is getting smaller and smaller every day as new technologies transform the ways that we communicate with each other. Gone are the days of telegrams and town halls as the only methods for community engagement with stakeholders, citizens, and community members. As an advocate for community engagement using technology, video streaming services for live streaming allow communities with fluctuating populations dues to cottagers, commuters, and weekenders to still participate and view critical information sharing events without needing to be physically at the town hall. There are some fantastic services out there that can service a variety of needs.
Cisco's WebEx
Cisco's WebEx is perfect for those who need to share presentation screens with those who are joining the live stream. WebEx allows multiple users to take turns sharing their screens, which is great when you have a variety of remote individuals sharing content live. WebEx also allows you to record your sessions and post them online. However, unlike Google Hangouts, you will have to download and then upload the video to your website.
Join.Me
Join.Me is essentially a free version of WebEx as it centers on free screen sharing services and unlimited audio participants. This is great if you need to r present slides to individuals online. They also have a fantastic video conferencing system that allows up to five participants in the free version, and up to ten participants in the business version.
Facebook Live
Facebook Live is a fantastic free service offered through Facebook. Using your personal or business page, you can share events, town halls, question periods, or even just have a conversation with your followers. Other Facebook users can interact by posting comments during the live feed (which you can respond to in real time) or liking/reacting to the feed as it progresses. Individuals can set their notifications to "follow" all of your live feeds. The best this is that your live feed is automatically saved to your page/profile so that others can watch the video after it is no longer live.
VideoWhisper
VideoWhisper is online system that allows you to video stream. It has different versions of the service for different types of use, such as live events, meetings, and webinars. Their platform is also available as an API integration into all WordPress deployments, making it a top choice for those who want to be able to direct everything through their website. It is also extremely customizable and can be designed to fit your brand standards.
