"No, we imply when you are working with a product your CV should be enough to certify you are knowing it."
Sounds like you've never recruited. The CV is used to filter out candidates who don't meet the requirements for the role, whether they're lacking experience, a qualification or the ability to write a comprehensible CV. The content of the CV is validated during the interview process - it's extremely rare that somebody gets a job offer based purely on the content of their CV. People lie about skills, experience and qualifications on their CVs.
"Also, do you think a product change so much someone already certified with a older version cannot learn the new version quick enough to be productive?"
Yes, which is why almost every major vendor requires recertification or a renewal exam after a roughly 3-year period. You've obviously not had the misfortune of having to untangle the mess an MCSE 2000 has made of a 2008 R2 or 2012 infrastructure.
"Were do you learn new versions of products if not in your working environment?"
When Oracle 12c came out, do you think every DBA deployed it into production or test so they could gain experience with 12c? It's not as simple as deciding you're going to deploy a new product into test for your own benefit. In many cases the onus is on the engineer to lab the technology themselves on their own equipment.
I think if we started calling them qualifications instead of certifications, this ridiculous attitude of "my MCSE from 2000 is just as valid as an MCSE 2012" would quickly disappear. In the real world, if you've got a 10-year-old IT qualification and have done nothing in the ensuing decade to keep yourself updated, that reflects poorly on you.
