The design of RSVP is based upon research performed in 1992-1993 by a collaboration including Lixia Zhang (UCLA), Deborah Estrin (USC/ISI), Scott Shenker (Xerox PARC), Sugih Jamin (USC/Xerox PARC), and Daniel Zappala (USC). Sugih Jamin developed the first prototype implementation of RSVP and successfully demonstrated it in May 1993. Shai Herzog, and later Steve Berson, continued development of RSVP prototypes.
Since 1993, many members of the Internet research community have contributed to the design and development of RSVP; these include (in alphabetical order) Steve Berson, Bob Braden, Lee Breslau, Dave Clark, Deborah Estrin, Shai Herzog, Craig Partridge, Scott Shenker, John Wroclawski, Daniel Zappala, and Lixia Zhang. In addition, a number of host and router vendors have made valuable contributions to the RSVP documents, particularly Fred Baker (Cisco), Mark Baugher (Intel), Lou Berger (Fore Systems), Don Hoffman (Sun), Steve Jakowski (NetManage), John Krawczyk (Bay Networks), and Bill Nowicki (SGI), as well as many others.