Electronic Lock

Electronic Lock

Electronic locks are all keyless, meaning lost or stolen keys and lock picking is never an issue. Most electronic locks contain a computer chip that is programmed to automatically lock after anyone leaves or enters a room and the door is closed. Therefore, in order to enter through the door, an individual must have a password or key code, magnetic card or some sort of portable security item that the lock is able to read. These locks are used in many places, including hotels, high security offices, government and military buildings and highly classified areas. Some homes, usually of the upper class, also use electronic locks on the doors. In addition, they are useful in work environments with a high turnover rate, contract employees or wherever the location of employees and what doors they open needs tracking.

There are three main types of electronic locks, each are more and more technically advanced, expensive and rare. The most common types are keypad locks. In order to open, these locking mechanisms are equipped with a series of tactile keypad buttons with numbers and letters. They are programmed to open only with a certain password or code, and can be reprogrammed easily. The next type uses security item-magnetic scanner disks, coded keys or remote controls. These locks are used in high traffic and high security areas and are able to track exactly who opened a door, since each of these security devices are programmed with a unique signature. The most technically advanced lock available today is called a biometric lock. These electronic locks open by voice recognition, a fingerprint match or a retinal scan. They are only for maximum security applications, usually within government buildings. While they are very expensive, they are the most effective on the market today, as they eliminate the risk of unauthorized entrance via stolen keycard or password and ensure that only a select few individuals have access to certain areas of the workplace.