I'm pretty sure sentience implies self-awareness, which is not quite what this is about, but still. Data center systems that can anticipate their own needs? The point of the CBS News article isn't completely clear, but it sounds like it's anticipating a future in which the Microsoft system they're discussing applies to broader fields.

The system in question is one in which, by monitoring what their employees actually do (...creepy, right?) (Read more at SilverBack Migration Solutions Data Center Blog)