As you are already probably aware, you are able to use Azure to manage updates deployment on your virtual machine running in Azure or even on-premises by using an Azure Automation Account.
Well, the experience of managing updates with Azure is now getting better and simpler thanks to the new Update Management capability available now in preview.
The new Update Management experience provides the same capabilities of managing and deploying updates on your virtual machines in Azure or on-premises (using Arc workloads) but with a more granular access control, no prerequisites (not like with Automation Account) or policy driven enforcement.
To start using the new experience, connect to your Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com/) and search for Update Management or use the direct link https://aka.ms/umc-preview
Now you just need to create/assign a policy definition (you can use the link provided in the Overview blade) and a maintenance configuration to define the update schedule
Once you have configure your updates management you can then monitor the status of your virtual machines using the Machines blade for report or the History blade for historical logs
During the preview this capability is free; the cost model will be define when the service becomes generally available.