The University of Delaware ID card is going contactless, after piloting the electronic door access on campus this past semester. According to a release on the university’s website, the new ID cards will now be issued to all UD students, faculty and staff.

The previous UD ID card will be replaced by the new contactless ONEcard, a move that will see Delaware students leave the swipe behind. Contactless incorporates a chip on the ID card. Contactless offers secure, reliable and simple access for the cardholder, enabling them to place their card near a reader device rather than swiping it as before.

According to Delaware’s Facilities, Real Estate and Auxiliary Services, the university enjoyed a successful pilot program with the contactless cards and readers at the Newark campus’ Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory. The success of the pilot means that the technology will be implemented in additional locations around campus in the near future.

Before Delaware students can take full advantage of the new contactless credentials, all existing ID cards must be replaced. For that reason, the ID Card Office is launching an initiative to put new, contactless ID cards into the hands of all students, faculty and staff members.

The new ID card is being dubbed the ONEcard to reflect its newly expanding role on campus. It will be the official UD ID card, and it will replace all current and older versions of the ID card. It will automatically have any privileges and accesses that are already present on the students’ existing ID cards. The new contactless credentials will also don mag stripes to accommodate campus locations and services that have not yet been converted to contactless.

The contactless ONEcards will be distributed beginning spring semester 2015.