A method for use in a distributed object environment for allowing a local client application to invoke a remote service upon a remote server, comprising: providing a plurality of connection handlers (130,132,134), for handling a connection from the local client application (102, 104,106) to the remote service (110,112,114), determining which particular connection handler of said plurality of connection handlers is to handle the connection; and binding a request from the local client application invoking the remote service, said step of binding includes: identifying the remote service, and operably connecting the local client application to that remote service through said particular connection handler; characterised in that the determining step is carried out at a listener (120,160) that performs additional steps of: calling a service routine to bind an object reference, together with host, port, and client identifier parameters; searching within a shared memory to determine if the host/port is already in use; if an existing connection handler can handle the connection, then assigning the existing connection handler to handle the request; and if no existing connection handler can handle the connection, then starting a new connection handler. providing a plurality of connection handlers (130,132,134), for handling a connection from the local client application (102, 104,106) to the remote service (110,112,114), determining which particular connection handler of said plurality of connection handlers is to handle the connection; and binding a request from the local client application invoking the remote service, said step of binding includes: identifying the remote service, and operably connecting the local client application to that remote service through said particular connection handler; characterised in that the determining step is carried out at a listener (120,160) that performs additional steps of: calling a service routine to bind an object reference, together with host, port, and client identifier parameters; searching within a shared memory to determine if the host/port is already in use; if an existing connection handler can handle the connection, then assigning the existing connection handler to handle the request; and if no existing connection handler can handle the connection, then starting a new connection handler. identifying the remote service, and operably connecting the local client application to that remote service through said particular connection handler; characterised in that the determining step is carried out at a listener (120,160) that performs additional steps of: calling a service routine to bind an object reference, together with host, port, and client identifier parameters; searching within a shared memory to determine if the host/port is already in use; if an existing connection handler can handle the connection, then assigning the existing connection handler to handle the request; and if no existing connection handler can handle the connection, then starting a new connection handler. calling a service routine to bind an object reference, together with host, port, and client identifier parameters; searching within a shared memory to determine if the host/port is already in use; if an existing connection handler can handle the connection, then assigning the existing connection handler to handle the request; and if no existing connection handler can handle the connection, then starting a new connection handler.