Embodiments of an intelligent agent for an OMA DM enabled mobile client device are described. The intelligent agent includes modules for storing management property values in one or more nodes of an OMA DM management tree of the mobile client device. At least some of the management values are analyzed and set in a server computer coupled to the mobile client device over a wireless network. The intelligent mobile client is configured to manage itself based on initial instructions and policies provided by a server that are transferred to the client by the OMA DM protocol. For example, a client might notice that the battery is nearly empty and so it automatically decreases its own backlight illumination level. The intelligent agent defines a set of management properties to include a status property representing a node severity value, and a property group consisting of a rule, an action property representing an action that is executed if the rule is satisfied, and a threshold value that represents a minimum value that is used as a rule parameter.