Teachings herein include a first machine-to-machine (M2M) device manager in a local area network (LAN). The first manager receives operating information for a first M2M device managed by the first manager. This operating information may indicate, for example, the operating state (e.g., on or off) of the first device. Responsive to receiving this operating information, the first manager coordinates operation of a second M2M device that is managed by a second M2M device manager in the LAN. The first manager effectively does so by evaluating the received operating information according to a set of policy-based rules, generating control signaling according to that evaluation, and then sending the generated control signaling to the second manager. Because this control signaling is sent horizontally between different M2M device managers, rather than vertically to some centralized server, such operation coordination can occur across M2M devices that would not otherwise be inter-operable.