Azure managed applications were first introduced to Azure in mid 2017 as a preview feature and went to GA on November 2017. As an offering unique to Azure, Azure managed applications focus on customers who want to deploy entire applications without the hassle of managing and maintaining the infrastructure behind those applications.
Azure managed applications offer a great way for Managed Services Providers (MSPs), Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and System Integrators (SIs) to deliver their applications with an optional full service component. Those partners are now able, to manage and maintain solutions directly in customer environments.