How do companies/employers view certifications?

What good are certifications? I know different certifications have more prestige and such... A+ is pretty basic while MCSE is a much more involved cert.

I think this info is important... how do employers view this info alone or in conjunction with work history and other more formal education?

Lets say someone is starting from scratch and would like to manage a small office network of say 15 to 30 users, maybe a few decent workstations, for good measure. Everything on Microsoft OS's...

I only use this as an example because I worked in a small office of about this size doing what part time college students do. It was a software company, but mainly just a sales/support office for a larger foriegn company.

so, yeah... what would be the approach for something alone these lines?
thanks