Should I renew my Skype number?

While I was busy working and not paying attention to nag mail, my Skype number expired this week. I could reactivate and get another three months service for about 12 bucks after a 33-percent discount. But it's Whopper Wednesday. That $12 would feed the family, with enough change left over for some cool vanilla cones at the Rite Aid.

I've had a Skype number since April 2006 -- back when it cost just $38 a year. There's sentimental value having the number for so long, and it's the having not the number itself. The Skype # is not so memorable or well-known to be worth porting anywhere. My Skype is mostly used for calls I need to record, for reporting purposes. Oh, yeah, it buzzes the front gate to our apartment complex, too.

But there are alternatives, like Google Voice, that make keeping the Skype number less attractive. Then there is uncertainty, with Microsoft buying Skype. Steve Ballmer isn't going to spend $8.5 billion on Skype and not make changes. Microsoft's CEO already has shared some of his big plans for the service. They probably won't affect my number anytime soon, if ever. But I wonder. Skype sacked a bunch of top executives ahead of Microsoft's acquisition closing. If Skype so easily screws its own people, what about lowly customers like me -- or you?

I also worry about Microsoft's Skype commitment. Ballmer has pledged to support multiple platforms, but the man has crossed fingers behind his back before. Skype wouldn't be the first Microsoft acquisition where other platforms got ditched. When they didn't, the best features -- the ones anyone would really want -- were available for Microsoft platforms only. This week, Skype 5.5 beta for Windows debuted with some cool Facebook integration. That's for Windows only -- ahead of the merger closing! Surely this foreshadows something.

Then there are other features' value. Sure, Skype is great for messaging and video calls. But I've got other software that's easily as good or better. Then there is the Google conundrum. Based on a Chromium forum post last week, big video features are coming to Google's browser:

We would like to announce that a new open source project is about to land in src/third_party/webrtc. All details about WebRTC in general can be found at http://www.webrtc.org/. Our goal is to enable Chrome with Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities via simple Javascript APIs. We are working hard to provide full RTC support in Chrome all the way from WebKit down to the native audio and video parts. When we are done, any web developer shall be able to create RTC applications, like the Google Talk client in Gmail, without using any plugins but only WebRTC components that runs in the sandbox.

I'm on the fence about renewing the number and my broader commitment to Skype. Surely many other people are wondering about the product, too, and how they might or might not use it in the future. So I'm asking you these questions: Should I renew my Skype number? Should you? Also, if I shouldn't renew the number, what would you recommend instead -- if anything? I ask not just for advice but to churn some conversation about Skype. Please answer in comments but also share what you feel about Skype at this juncture.

Photo Credit: Powerhouse Museum Collection, circa 1930