Novell Inc. is officially moving its headquarters to the Boston area from its longtime center in Provo, Utah.

A Novell spokesman said the move "essentially validates" the company structure that has existed for many months. He noted that Novell's chief executive, Jack Messman, has been located in the Boston area since Novell acquired Cambridge Technology along with Messman in 2001.

He said a large portion of Novell's corporate and operations involvement will remain in Provo, which accounts for about one-third of the firm's head count. About 10 percent of the company's workforce is situated in the Boston area, with the actual headquarters building located in suburban Waltham. Novell's previous chief executive and chairman, Eric Schmidt, worked out of offices in San Jose when he ran the firm.

Novell cited the change in a Securities and Exchange filing.