The initial role of an access control system is to manage ingress and, in some cases, egress. When all is said and done, one’s baseline defense is at the controlled opening. Not only must facility administrators be able to keep the bad guys out, they need an access control system that easily lets the good guys in. Today, the options are innumerable. Installing an access control system for future growth is every bit as important as making sure it is backwards compatible. Whether deploying standalone electronic locks, networked and/or integrated systems, or high-level technology such as biometrics, facilities should adopt solutions that can accommodate their changing needs.