Locks and keys ring up huge costs for education institutions. No wonder many facility directors and public-safety directors have turned to automated access-control systems with magnetic-stripe cards, proximity cards and, most recently, smart cards. Smart cards can provide a host of on- and off-campus services beyond security. In addition to serving as identification credentials and opening access-controlled doors, they can facilitate purchases at vending machines by accessing debit accounts, checking books out from the library and much more. This article discusses near field communication (NFC), an up-and-coming technology that enables smartphones to open access-controlled doors, do laundry, buy lunch and much more.