My publisher, Pam Chester with Butterworth/Elsevier, called me in a panic late in 2010 when another author backed out of writing a book on Access Control Systems. She remembered that I had wanted to write a book on electrified locks and thought that these two subjects would be a good fit together.

And so began this book. Although the deadline to write it was aggressive by any standards (I had to meet the deadline of the other book, which was nearing its close), the result was most rewarding for me and, I hope, for you the reader.

There is precious little written on electrified locks, which are the bane of Access Control System designers, installers, and maintenance technicians. Also, Access Control Systems have become so complicated since the introduction of TCP/IP interfaces that a great deal of people in the industry who remember the good old days of completely proprietary systems are now somewhat frightened as the communications needs of each security system element must be planned in conjunction with the needs of all the others, and often in conjunction with Business Information Technology systems.

In this book, I have tried to place all of the information that any new designer, installer, or maintenance technician would need in addition to the basic training given by the manufacturer. I have included many industry secrets that never seem to be discussed out in the open and a great deal of design, installation, and maintenance tips that usually take years for most people to learn.

In short, this book is intended to “launch” you into your career with a vast head start ahead of your peers. Enjoy and happy reading!