In the last 20 years, the link between education and manufacturing has been left to rot on the vine.

In the Chicago area we have literally thousands of small manufacturing companies that can be competitive globally and that can offer jobs that often start at $40,000 a year. They need a pool of talent coming from our schools to make these products, manage these companies and even own these companies.

This is not just broad-back manual labor. These are companies that can make a lot of money and provide excellent jobs if they can find that talent. And if they don't, they could easily collapse.

Today, Retail Link is a little bit difficult to navigate.

Our customers want to focus on their core business whether it's manufacturing automobiles or building ships. We're responsible for the whole lifecycle of the chemical, from the time it's distributed to the end of its useful life when it's ready for recycling or some other type of treatment.

The MPAA views this partnership with Internet2 as an important opportunity for collaboration as we seek to link new delivery models with content protection. The MPAA and its member companies have a wide range of expertise in both areas, and I believe we can add a positive, constructive perspective.