Automation of Upjohn sales numbers began in 1924 using Comptometers, which were large adding machines. By 1955, mechanized billing for sales was possible using punch cards and IBM Cardatype machines. By 1957, plans were being made to install a mainframe computer. A Burroughs 220 computer was selected and a computer room built in the basement of Building 41 in Portage. The Burroughs cost a million dollars to lease and required a full-time engineer from the manufacturer to be on site. This computer did not have transistors on printed circuit boards. It used vacuum tubes. Installation was complete on October 12, 1959.

There were a number of articles about the Burroughs in Upjohn News from 1957 through 1962. I've included them below in chronological order.

By 1962, plans had been made to replace it with an IBM 1401 and an IBM 1410.  These new machines were 2 and 1/2 times faster, the lease was $84,000 a year less and they did not require an on-site engineer. There were no vacuum tubes. Alas, they required programming in a different language. The Burroughs was retired in 1963.