Identity Management has so far been a field mainly applications and Web
focused. This paper describes a novel approach to cross layer identity
management that extends digital identities to the network, the virtual identity
(VID) framework. The VID framework provides strong privacy to the user, while
easily supporting personalization cross-service providers. While other identity
management solutions are tailored to one specific application and/or protocol
domain, the proposed framework extends the use of one’s digital identity to all
aspects of the network and services architecture. It is also the first to
consider legal constrains, such as ownership of data and legal intercept
issues, in such a broad scope. One major aspect reported here is the relevance
for operators.