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Transition from Classic WFM to New WFM

Verified 2026-09-05 · 21 sources · tier 2

Also known as Transfer from other system, transition tool.

Cisco documents a transition tool that moves agents and queue statistics from a Classic Cisco WFM installation to a new Cisco WFM installation and sets default values 19. Cisco calls the move between the 2 workforce management variants a transition rather than a migration, and the word migration is never used to describe it 2.

Transition tool operation

The transition tool is accessed in the new Cisco WFM interface by navigating to WFM, then WFM settings, then Getting started, and then Transfer from other system 8. The tool functions for both cloud and on-premises installations of Classic Cisco WFM 21. Authentication occurs by entering the base URL used to access Classic Cisco WFM alongside a Classic Cisco WFM username and password 1.

A transition run has a maximum session time of 1 hour, and Cisco advises transitioning a shorter period first for a large organisation 17. The transition can be re-run for the same period and teams; executing a re-run overwrites changes made to transitioned data while leaving changed default values alone 15.

Prerequisites

  • The Classic Cisco WFM installation must run version 10.4 or later 9.
  • The Classic Cisco WFM server must be accessible from the new Cisco WFM server over the network 12.
  • The user must hold the Super administrator role, and the transition tool must be made available in the target installation 13.
  • The Classic Cisco WFM account must hold the Administer WFM, Administer schedules, and Plan schedules permissions, along with access to all groups and teams being transitioned 10.
  • At least 1 contract, contract schedule, and part time percentage must exist, and employee defaults must be configured before running the transition 11.

Scope of transitioned data

  • Transitioned entities: The tool transfers agent first and last name, employment number, email, format, time zone, leaving date, site and team, a person period, roles matched by name, and queues together with queue statistics 20.
  • Role mapping: Roles transition strictly by name matching, meaning an existing role in the new Cisco WFM with the same name is reused and permissions are not carried across 16.
  • Non-transitioned entities: Skills, external logons, contracts, contract schedules, part time percentages, multiplicator definition sets, shift bags, schedule periods, rotations, and personal accounts are not transitioned and must be created in the new installation 14.

WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that the transition does not produce a working configuration on its own, as the overview lists categories an administrator must create by hand afterwards 7.

Documentation and variant differences

The Classic WFM user guide never mentions New WFM, never uses the phrase Classic Cisco WFM, and does not document the transition tool, preventing Classic customers from discovering the feature within their own guide set 3. In addition, the Webex WFO guides for both variants record Calabrio, Inc. as their author in the PDF metadata 4. Neither variant's guide states that New WFM supersedes Classic WFM, and neither guide publishes an end of support date for Classic 6.

WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that a second transition—moving from Cisco Teleopti WFM into New WFM—ships a readiness check, whereas the Classic to New transition does not include one 18. Furthermore, we infer that the product activation key enforcing New WFM licensing has no counterpart in the Classic WFM guide, and the transition topic never mentions licensing 5.

See also

See also Classic WFM and New WFM variants of Webex Workforce Optimization. See also Failure and rollback behaviour of the Classic to New WFM transition.

Applicability

Applies to: Cisco Webex Workforce Optimization. Deployments: cloud and on-premises. Sources checked 2026-09-05. The transition tool requires Classic Cisco WFM version 10.4 or later 9. The transition tool supports source Classic Cisco WFM systems deployed on-premises as well as in the cloud 21.

What remains uncertain

Why a customer would move from Classic WFM to New WFM is not covered by the sources below. What happens to licensing across the transition is not covered by the sources below. Whether the 2 systems can run in parallel during a cutover is not covered by the sources below. Whether a transition can be rolled back is not covered by the sources below. The 2 different definitions of a licence consuming agent in the New WFM guide are not covered by the sources below. What happens when the 1 hour cap is reached mid transition is not covered by the sources below. The full content of the 2 WFM data transition overview tables is not covered by the sources below. Whether agents without a team are silently dropped is not covered by the sources below.

See also

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Sources

  1. 1
    The transition authenticates by entering the base URL used to access Classic Cisco WFM together with a Classic Cisco WFM username and password.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data > Authenticate for transition of data · Checked 2026-09-05
  2. 2
    Cisco calls the move between the 2 workforce management variants a transition rather than a migration and the word migration is never used of it.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · whole guide · Checked 2026-09-05
  3. 3
    The Classic WFM user guide never mentions New WFM, never uses the phrase Classic Cisco WFM and does not document the transition, so a Classic customer cannot discover the feature from their own guide set.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with Classic WFM · whole guide · Checked 2026-09-05
  4. 4
    The Webex WFO guides for both variants record Calabrio, Inc. as their author in the PDF metadata.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · PDF document properties · Checked 2026-09-05
  5. 5
    The product activation key that enforces New WFM licensing has no counterpart in the Classic WFM guide and the transition topic never mentions licensing.inferred
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Manage product activation keys for WFM compared with the Classic guide · Checked 2026-09-05
  6. 6
    Neither variant's guide states that New WFM supersedes Classic WFM and neither publishes an end of support date for Classic.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · both user guides · Checked 2026-09-05
  7. 7
    The transition does not produce a working configuration on its own and the overview lists categories an administrator must create by hand afterwards.inferred
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · WFM data transition overview · Checked 2026-09-05
  8. 8
    The transition tool is reached in the new Cisco WFM at WFM then WFM settings then Getting started then Transfer from other system.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data > Page location · Checked 2026-09-05
  9. 9
    The transition requires the Classic Cisco WFM installation to be on version 10.4 or later.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data > Prerequisites · Checked 2026-09-05
  10. 10
    The transition requires a Classic Cisco WFM account holding Administer WFM, Administer schedules and Plan schedules permissions and access to all the groups and teams being transitioned.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data > Prerequisites · Checked 2026-09-05
  11. 11
    The transition requires at least 1 contract, contract schedule and part time percentage to exist and employee defaults to have been set before it is run.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data > Prerequisites · Checked 2026-09-05
  12. 12
    The transition requires the Classic Cisco WFM server to be accessible from the new Cisco WFM server.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data > Prerequisites · Checked 2026-09-05
  13. 13
    The transition requires the Super administrator role and requires that the transition tool has been made available in the installation.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data > Prerequisites · Checked 2026-09-05
  14. 14
    Skills, external logons, contracts, contract schedules, part time percentages, multiplicator definition sets, shift bags, schedule periods, rotations and personal accounts are not transitioned and must be created in the new installation.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · WFM data transition overview · Checked 2026-09-05
  15. 15
    The transition can be re-run for the same period and teams and doing so overwrites changes made to transitioned data while leaving changed default values alone.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data from Classic Cisco WFM to the new Cisco WFM · Checked 2026-09-05
  16. 16
    Roles transition by name only, so a role that already exists in the new Cisco WFM with the same name is reused and permissions are not carried across.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · WFM data transition overview, Roles row · Checked 2026-09-05
  17. 17
    The maximum session time for a data transition is 1 hour and Cisco advises transitioning a shorter period first for a large organisation.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data from Classic Cisco WFM to the new Cisco WFM, NOTE · Checked 2026-09-05
  18. 18
    A second transition, from Cisco Teleopti WFM into New WFM, ships a readiness check while the Classic to New transition does not.inferred
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · readiness check section compared with the transition tool section · Checked 2026-09-05
  19. 19
    Cisco documents a transition tool that moves agents and queue statistics from a Classic Cisco WFM installation to a new Cisco WFM installation and sets some default values.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data from Classic Cisco WFM to the new Cisco WFM · Checked 2026-09-05
  20. 20
    The transition moves agent first and last name, employment number, email, format, time zone, leaving date, site and team, a person period, roles matched by name, and queues together with queue statistics.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · WFM data transition overview · Checked 2026-09-05
  21. 21
    The transition tool works for both cloud and on-premises installations of Classic Cisco WFM.
    Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM · Transition data from Classic Cisco WFM to the new Cisco WFM · Checked 2026-09-05

Documents

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with Classic WFM

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2025-09-19 · accessed 2026-09-05

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Webex WFO User Guide For Deployments with New WFM

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2025-10-03 · accessed 2026-09-05

Cite this page

APA

WarmTransfer. (2026, September 5). Transition from Classic WFM to New WFM. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/wfo-classic-to-new-migration

BibTeX

@misc{warmtransfer-wfo-classic-to-new-migration,
  title  = {Transition from Classic WFM to New WFM},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/wfo-classic-to-new-migration},
  note   = {Verified 2026-09-05}
}