Courts across the world are facing huge levels of disruption as a result of COVID-19. The State of Florida alone has reported a projected backlog of over 990,000 cases. Such delays have a serious impact for all parties involved, making it imperative for courts to consider a different approach and fast.

Courts must ask whether the technology systems they have in place today, often built 20-25 years ago, remain fit for purpose—especially when cloud-based technology solutions now exist that can deliver dramatic efficiency gains and improved collaboration for teams of people working either on site or remotely.

Faced with the coronavirus pandemic it can be argued that the normal rules of technology procurement no longer apply. A procurement process that takes years makes it impossible for courts to realize the crucial efficiency benefits they need right now. Instead the process should be reduced to a matter of weeks, as cloud-based technology solutions that require no upfront investment can be up and running in as little as a week.