Virtual directory technology offers a way to provide that consolidated view of user identity without having to reconstruct an entire directory infrastructure. Implemented in the form of middleware, a virtual directory is a lightweight service that operates between applications and identity data.

A virtual directory receives queries and directs them to the appropriate data sources. When the user data comes back, the directory presents the data to the enterprise application as if it all had been stored in one place all along. This ability to reach into native repositories makes virtual directory technology ideal for consolidating data stored with two or more corporate divisions, between trading partners or within one entity that is using different directory services for different applications.