Virtual Profiles
Virtual profiles are required when the information to be managed, e.g. the profile is provided from a collection of distributed sources, as is typically the case in multi-organization projects, for example, the medical patient profile. These profiles typically do not exists physically in a database or single repository, but rather dynamically assembled from a variety of sources or databases.

Example
For example again, the patient medical file in stored in sections, with each medical organization that the patient has consulted. Yet, when that patient is brought unconscious into an emergency ward, the trauma specialist may require access to most of that distributed information. He needs a virtual profile.

Dynamic Profile Integration
Dynamically assembling that profile is a serious information integration issue, especially as each segment may require separate security clearance. But that is not all as should the specialist simply get access to everything or should he only be provided with the relevant information in the given context? Of course, he should not have access to information that is not relevant, as that information is private and sensitive.

Knowledge Architecture and Entitlement
To enable this information selection, systems have to understand the relevance of information, the implications of the different contexts, as well as how to intersect them together. That is very much what entitlement is about. As well, adequate information and knowledge architecture is required.