With AOL, NTT DoCoMo Dreams Global

TOKYO -- When you walk into the brand-new headquarters of NTT DoCoMo, Japan's top mobile-phone operator, it's easy to see how powerful the company has become.

While many Japanese companies have fired their receptionists to cut costs, DoCoMo has eight smiling women who greet guests with a bow. They also have five guards walking around the reception area, no doubt making sure none of the three dozen businessmen waiting around get unruly.

DoCoMo's success in a struggling economy is nothing short of inspiring and the news Wednesday that it may have clinched a deal with America Online (AOL Quote) pleased investors. Shares of DoCoMo jumped 90,000, or 3.1%, to 2.97 million ($27,195.31) after the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan's leading business daily, reported that DoCoMo will make AOL content accessible to phone users not just in Japan, but worldwide. Both DoCoMo and AOL Japan declined to confirm or deny the report, but the paper said a deal could be sealed as early as next month. ...