COM can run across processes

[sukishan]

In COM, you as the programmer are allowed to create objects in other processes, and on any machine on the network. That does not mean that you will always do it (in many cases you won't). However, the possibility means that you can't create a COM object using the normal C++ new statement , and calling its methods with local procedure calls won't suffice.

To create a COM object, some executing entity (an EXE or a Service) will have to perform remote memory allocation and object creation. This is a very complex task. By remote, we mean in another process or on another process. This problem is solved by creating a concept called a COM server. This other entity will have to maintain tight communication with the client.