Well, according to an outfit called Foote Partners (never heard of them), the value of IT certifications is falling in favor of experience:
"As more automation and virtualization makes its way into the data center, most users say certifications can be used as a filter in the first step of the hiring process, but aren’t the key to higher-paying jobs long-term."
See a summary article here:
http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.c...e-losing-value.
Somewhat to the contrary, my experience in higher education is that certifications for nearly everything in IT are now being required for advancement, even among those with significant experience. That trend has been growing strongly for the past several years.
How are things where you work?
Ken