Over time, modules update their shipped configuration such as rules, views, node types. Users expect to get these updates when they update the modules. For example, Drupal Commerce 1.x provides over eleven default views and rules.
The holidays are a distant memory, and Drupal 8 contrib work is happening in full force. Time for another 2.x alpha. The past three weeks have seen bug fixes, test work, and many internal cleanups. But let's focus on the bigger changes.
2016 will be the year of Drupal 8 and Commerce 2.x projects.
In order to start tracking our progress towards our first productive ready release (which will be beta1), we're releasing alpha1 of Commerce 2.0.