Near field communication (NFC) enhanced computing systems

A server computer, comprising:

• a near-field communications (NFC) reader powered on by a direct-current (DC) power supply device;
• a power controller;
• and
• an embedded controller (EC) coupled to the NFC reader and powered on by the DC power supply device, the EC configured to:
• receive user credentials from the NFC reader;
• determine whether the user credentials indicate a right to power on the server computer, the server computer operating in a mode having defined components powered off;
• and
• responsive to determining that the user credentials indicate the right to power on the server computer, provide a power-on signal to the power controller;
• wherein the power controller causes the DC power supply device to power on the defined components in response to receiving the power-on signal.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• read user credentials at a near-field communications (NFC-equipped server computer from an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device via an NFC reader powered on by a direct-current (DC) power supply device;
• provide the user credentials from the NFC reader to an embedded controller (EC) operating in the NFC-equipped server computer, the EC powered on by the DC power supply device and the NFC-equipped server computer having defined components powered off;
• determine, by way of the EC, whether the user credentials indicate a right to power on the NFC-equipped server computer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the user credentials indicate the right to power on the NFC-equipped server computer, provide a power-on signal from the EC to a power controller operating in the NFC-equipped server computer, the power-on signal causes the DC power supply device to power on the defined components.