# Case Study: How the Canton of St. Gallen Modernized Its Media Communications
Source: https://www.veeting.com/en/insights/case-study-how-the-canton-of-st-gallen-modernized-its-media-communications
## Case Study: How the Canton of St. Gallen Modernized Its Media Communications
_Integrating video conferencing with existing AV infrastructure to enable seamless remote participation, livestreaming, and on-demand access._
For Raouf Selmi and David Rüegg, using video to connect the [Canton of St. Gallen](https://www.sg.ch) with its audiences has long been a priority.
Selmi leads Live Communication and Multimedia at the canton's State Chancellery, while Rüegg serves as an audio/video specialist. During the pandemic, they significantly expanded the canton's live production capabilities. Today, St. Gallen operates its own production center, equipped with studio, control room, and recording technology.
The modernization of the media room is the next step in that evolution. Journalists can attend press briefings remotely, view presentations, and ask questions in real time via text, audio, or video. The entire briefing, including questions from journalists, can also be livestreamed on the canton's website.
To enable remote participation and livestreaming, the State Chancellery partnered with our reseller and partner [xtendx AG](https://www.xtendx.com). The new system connects the media room's existing audiovisual (AV) infrastructure with video conferencing technology from Veeting AG and simplex, the platform for livestreaming and video delivery.
### The People Behind the Technology
Raouf Selmi and David Rüegg bring hands-on live production experience to the project. Their production environment brings together audio and video feeds from multiple locations across the cantonal administration. In the cantonal parliament chamber, they use permanently installed cameras and automated speaker detection. Studio and podcast facilities support additional production formats.
That practical experience also guided the modernization of the media room. The goal was to make the technology work seamlessly with the flow of a press briefing, without requiring staff to manage multiple disconnected systems during an event.
A key example is the integration of video conferencing into the existing [Q-SYS](https://www.qsys.com/) environment, developed collaboratively by the project partners.
David Rüegg (Kanton St. Gallen), Johannes Fischer (xtendx AG), Raouf Selmi (Kanton St. Gallen), Fabian Bernhard (Veeting AG)
### How the Room Integration Works
The media room is equipped with four cameras: three focused on the lecterns and one providing a wide shot of the room.
When a speaker activates a lectern microphone, the room system automatically switches to the corresponding camera view. If no lectern microphone is active, the system displays the room overview.
Using the [room-system interfaces](/en/developer-documentation/room-system-control) provided by Veeting Rooms, the xtendx solution is integrated into the existing Q-SYS control system. This allows staff to manage video conferencing within the room's established AV environment.
> “For us, the decisive factor was being able to integrate the solution provided by xtendx into our existing Q-SYS control system. That allows video communications to fit seamlessly into the room's technology and workflows,” says David Rüegg.
### The Right Content on Every Screen
The room-system integration also enables content to be [displayed across multiple screens](/developer-documentation/query-parameters#tv-screens-and-directors). One display shows the active camera feed, while another presents the slides. Each is positioned to give attendees in the room the information they need.
For journalists attending remotely, participation is equally straightforward. They join directly from a web browser, with no additional software required. The browser interface displays both the active camera feed and the presentation, and journalists can contribute live questions or comments via text, audio, or video.
### Connecting the Media Room with the Public
Beyond enabling journalists to participate interactively, the solution serves another important purpose: making press briefings available to the public, both live and on demand.
Upcoming press briefings are retrieved from the video conferencing platform through an [API](/en/developer-documentation/api-usage) and listed directly on the canton's website. During each event, simplex delivers a public livestream, allowing viewers to watch without joining the video conference.
The simplex player is embedded directly into the canton's website, so visitors can watch the broadcast without leaving the site. The video platform handles streaming behind the scenes.
Each livestream is recorded simultaneously. After the event, Selmi and Rüegg can edit and publish the recording using the simplex Editor. The finished video is then available on demand through the canton's website.
Together, these capabilities support the entire communications workflow: from the in-room event and interactive participation by journalists to live and on-demand access for the public.
### Why a Swiss-Based Solution Mattered
For Raouf Selmi and David Rüegg, successful technical integration was only part of the equation. Close collaboration with the technology providers was equally important.
xtendx and Veeting are Swiss providers with infrastructure operated in Switzerland. Selmi particularly valued having direct access to partners who could understand and address the canton's specific requirements.
> “We wanted a Swiss solution and partners with whom we could discuss our requirements directly, on equal footing. What matters to us is working with a provider that listens and is willing to develop a solution together for our specific environment,” says Raouf Selmi.
xtendx likewise views this collaborative approach as a key factor in the project's success.
> “Projects like this succeed when everyone involved listens and works toward a common goal. Video communications and data storage in Switzerland are becoming increasingly important parts of the communications infrastructure for public administrations. That makes it essential for the technology, existing systems, and the way people actually work to fit together,” says Joël Jira, CEO of xtendx.
### Applications Beyond Press Briefings
The infrastructure can support much more than press briefings.
Where professional AV systems are already in place, integrated video communications can create new opportunities for participation. External experts, for example, can join an in-person event remotely without the need to set up a separate production system.
For other state chancelleries and public administrations, the broader approach is more important than St. Gallen's specific configuration. Existing room technology, interactive video conferencing, livestreaming, and publishing through an organization's own website can all be brought together in a single, coordinated workflow.
The technical architecture is flexible. Veeting Rooms can be integrated with Q-SYS or comparable environments, while interfaces connect video conferencing to websites and other systems. simplex handles livestreaming, recording, and subsequent video delivery.
The result is a media room that functions as a communications hub, reaching audiences in person, through their browsers, and on the administration's own website.
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