Who ever said "cutting edge" had to be complicated "bleeding edge"? In the electronic access control domain, some of the up-and-coming technologies sound to some like futuristic James Bond systems. But when it comes right down to it, they might not be so different than that proximity reader you're using right now.
Biometrics, which replace a card with a unique characteristic of a person's body (such as hand, fingerprint, voice or face), have made the most inroads in U.S. applications. Biometric readers today are protecting everything from server rooms to computer access to daycare facilities.