System and method for detecting and integrating with native applications enabled for web-based storage

A cloud storage system, comprising:

• a communication processor in communication with:
• a file database for storing a plurality of files and metadata associated with each of the plurality of files;
• and
• a user database for storing information associating at least one user with at least one file,
• wherein the communication processor is configured to:
• receive a request to access a file on the cloud storage system;
• identify a request generator, wherein the request generator is a user associated with the file, a user who generated the request, or a device which transmitted the request;
• identify a file type of the file;
• identify at least one application capable of accessing the file type;
• determine whether at least one identified application is available to the request generator;
• in response to determining that the at least one identified application is available to the request generator:
• determine whether the at least one available application is cloud-capable of accessing the file stored on the cloud storage system based on an application type of the at least one available application, wherein the at least one available application is cloud-capable when the at least one available application is configured to access a cloud storage engine of the cloud storage system,
• provide access to the file to the at least one available application when the at least one available application is cloud-capable of accessing the file through the cloud storage system, and
• provide a copy of the file to the request generator when the at least one available application is incapable of accessing the file through the cloud storage system;
• and
• in response to determining that the at least one identified application is not available to the request generator:
• provide an option to gain access to the at least one identified application;
• in response to receiving a selection of the option:
• determine the application type of at least one identified application, wherein the application type indicates whether the at least one identified application is cloud-capable of accessing the file through the cloud storage system, and
• provide access to the file to the at least one identified application if the at least one identified application is cloud-capable of accessing the file through the cloud storage system.